The Basketcase
by aprms
Summary: AU. A sixteen year old Jess Day is forced into Saturday detention with a group of unlikely delinquents - a princess, athlete, brain, and that damn turtlefaced criminal. Based on The Breakfast Club.
1. First Impressions

**The Breakfast Club is one of my favourite films and I had this idea to replace the characters with our favourite gang and see the shenanigans they get themselves into. They actually fit quite well with the stereotypes. This story is based on The Breakfast Club in terms of characters and some plot, but I will deviate from that based on the New Girl characters' personalities and my own plot ideas. This story is also going to continue after the detention and show the repercussions of that day.**

**If you haven't seen The Breakfast Club, go and watch it. My amazing beta Captain Crunk informs me that it is on Netflix. Woohoo! :)**

Chapter One – First Impressions

Jess Day remained firmly fixated on the lingering mark her finger had left on the car window, occasionally blowing a misty breath over it as they ground to a halt outside of her high school. Fingerprints had always fascinated her – they made her unique, and reminded her that contrary to her more recent theories about her school, everyone was not, in fact, exactly the same boring clone.

Her Mom was saying something, so she sighed and removed the pink buds from her ears, the Backstreet Boys fading as she pulled them away. "What?" she said, a little rudely.

"I was saying we're here. I have an appointment with the lawyer Jess, you need to hurry up and get out of the car."

"I don't want to go in. I didn't do anything."

Joan rolled her eyes, reaching over to stroke a hand over her daughter's hair. Just as quickly as it was there her touch was gone, and Jess was left wondering if it had actually happened or if she had imagined it. Joan started the car and looked pointedly at Jess.

"Alright, I'm going." She huffed, swinging her brightly coloured backpack over her shoulder as she climbed rather ungracefully out of the car. She turned to say goodbye to find her Mom already pulling away, one hand raised above her head, just visible through the back window. Rolling her eyes, Jess hunched over and made her way up the steps to the building.

If she was honest with herself, she was incredibly nervous about today. She had never been given a detention in her life, and her overactive imagination had created some pretty mean characters in her head, all of which would undoubtedly have it out for her as soon as she entered the classroom. She trudged slowly and deliberately down the eerily quiet corridor, her converse sneakers squeaking on the linoleum floor. It was odd, being here on a Saturday. It smelled different, felt different. She willed the knot in her stomach to untie itself.

She heard a snigger behind her just as she reached classroom 4D. Whipping round, one hand resting on the doorframe, she saw a familiar face – Miller, the resident douchebag. Of course he was in detention. She struggled to keep her face in neutral, refusing to let fear cloud it. If there was one thing she absolutely did not want, it was unnecessary attention, especially from this unpredictable and overly confident clown.

He sauntered up to her, taking his hands out of his pockets. "Barney the dinosaur called," he said lowly as he reached her, circling behind her as he entered the classroom. "He wants his handbag back." Suppressing a snort, he slapped a hand over her rucksack with mock affection before turning his back to her and leaving her in the doorway, blushing and trying to breathe normally. _That wasn't so bad, _she thought as she followed him cautiously. She'd just have to make sure she didn't say a word all day, and maybe she'd make it out alive.

"Right," Mr. Shiller announced as he strolled purposefully into the room, running a hand through his salt and pepper hair. Jess scrambled for her seat. "This is my Saturday too, and because of you little criminals I'm forced to spend it here with you instead of my wife. So listen up, and listen good."

He cast a severe look around the room, and nobody met his eyes. Jess looked around and spotted a few familiar faces. Cece Parekh was here, the school princess. For some reason Jess had assumed Cece had some sort of get out of detention free card. Obviously not. Schmidt was here too. She'd spoken to him a few times in her English Lit class, and knew he was way too smart and sensible to be in here. She furrowed her brow. This hadn't been what she had expected at all.

"You have until four to sit silently and think about what you have done to warrant this punishment. That's six hours. I'm going to be in my office across the hall and I have the senses of a ninja, so I _will_ know if any of you leave your seats." Mr. Shiller then focused his attention on Miller, who was slumped in his seat, head tilted back towards the ceiling, mouth hanging open. "Is that understood?"

There were a bunch of half-hearted nods and grumbles, and that seemed to satisfy Shiller. He whirled around and left the group, stopping to prop the door open on his way out. "And don't shut this door."

With that, he disappeared. Jess cast her eyes around the room again nervously. She had chosen to sit at the back in her attempt to hide herself. Unfortunately she realised too late that the school delinquent had been thinking the same thing, and he was currently sat a couple metres to her right, his head lolling backwards and forwards in what she guessed was boredom. _No surprise there, he's probably done this a thousand times_. Rolling his head to the side, he caught her eye and she quickly turned away, her nervousness making her left knee bounce up and down under the desk. Miller was known to run his mouth, and she didn't want to piss this cocky loser off. With her hormones at the moment she wasn't even sure what her own limit was.

There was another person in the room whom she had never seen before. He was stocky and dark, his head shaven. He also appeared to be a little bored, not intimidated like the rest of them. He was sketching something on a piece of scrap paper and Jess craned her neck to see what it was. Something about his silent, serious nature sparked her curiosity.

Schmidt turned awkwardly in his seat. "Do we really have to sit here the whole time? Do we get lunch?" he asked, looking a little pained. Miller snorted to himself.

Schmidt was quite large. It was true that a day of not eating would probably do him the world of good. He blushed, realising that he was being made fun of, and turned back round, leaning down to take a notepad and pencil case out of his bag.

"You brought school stuff to detention?" Cece piped up, her perfect face contorted into amusement and slight annoyance. Schmidt looked at her, terrified. Jess inwardly giggled. This was probably the first and only time Cece would ever talk to him, and she could see the cogs working in his head, figuring out the right response.

"Uh," he stuttered, his hands shaking a little as the pencil case clattered on to the desk. "Yeah, I've never had one before so I thought we might have to do work."

"You don't." Miller snapped at him. The room went silent again.

Jess felt the tension start to ease in her body. It seemed these people hadn't noticed her, or hadn't cared. She could put her head down, maybe have a snooze, and plot her next parent trap.

She jumped when Miller stood abruptly. "Hey, you. Serious dude. What're you drawing there?" he shuffled over to the quiet guy, who looked up briefly, before continuing to scribble.

"It's a game plan, for next week. Big game against the 'Gators, from across town."

Miller nodded, seating himself on the edge of the stranger's desk. He looked up, annoyed, before shuffling away from him and attempting to resume his plan. "Hey man, you got your own seat over there."

"You're on the basketball team?" Cece asked, her interest immediately piqued. "My best friend Jessica P, she's the head cheerleader. I've never seen you before."

Serious guy looked up at her, smiling slightly. "I'm new, I lived in Latvia for a few years but we've just moved back. The name's Winston."

"Huh, that's my dog's name." Miller said with a smile. Jess rolled her eyes. She didn't like to judge people, but he really got under her skin at school, with his snide comments and stupid scruffy clothes that he only wore to maintain his image as a bad boy. She could tell already that he was going to make their lives hell for the entire day.

"Nice to meet you, Winston." Schmidt greeted with a small wave. "I'm Schmidt." Everyone turned to look at him. _He doesn't help himself, does he?_ Jess thought as she watched him. He was still waving like a nerd. Everyone ignored him.

"Well, Winston," Cece declared, her voice low, intended only for him, "there's a party happening tonight at Jessica P's and you should definitely come. I can introduce you to some people."

"Why do you say the 'P'?" Schmidt cut in, making Cece whip round and glare at him. "It's just that…well. We know who you're talking about."

"Jessica is a common name, and Winston's new. He might not know who I'm talking about." Cece hissed at him, turning her back on him.

"Hey fat kid. It's so she sounds more like one of those prissy girls from the shitty films she watches," Miller said with a smirk. "You know, the ones where the girl's life depends on whether she finds the right shoes for her date and sleepovers are mostly naked, and all the feathers come out of the pillows when they fight. FYI, not true by the way. Bitches."

Cece and Winston were shooting daggers at Miller, who was still seated awkwardly close to their conversation. "No one asked you." Cece spat.

Unperturbed, Miller blew out a tired sigh and stood. Jess kept her mouth clamped shut and her eyes fixated on her shoes. _Please don't notice me_, she thought. _Please just pretend I'm not here_.

"Sorry prom queen. I'm sure you two will make a lovely couple, and lots of lovely children who will rise up the social ladder at preschool with ease. That's all you think about, right?"

"Why don't you just shut your mouth and go back to your seat so we can get through today with as little unnecessary stress as possible, huh?" Cece snapped, pulling out her compact. She flipped it open and began smoothing down her hair and applying lipstick. Winston put down his pencil.

"Seriously dude, don't annoy me. I'm just sitting here trying to mind my own business but if you don't leave her alone I'm gonna do something about it." He declared, turning his body to face Miller in a broad-shouldered stance. Miller twisted his face and took a step closer to him.

"I'm shaking in my shoes man. Why don't you come over here and prove it."

In a split second, Winston was on his feet. He strode over to Miller and shoved him, hard. He stumbled backwards, crashing into Schmidt's desk and making him yelp, before he hit the floor, shock written all over his face.

"Why don't you stop pretending you're so tough and go sit down before you embarrass yourself further, jackass." Winston muttered, turning to take his seat again.

"HEY! You kids better be sat quietly, behaving yourselves in there or you'll be here all next Saturday too!" Mr. Shiller's voice came from the hall.

Jess heard a giggle, and then realised it was her. Mortified, she pressed her lips together, eyes wide behind her thick frames. Everyone turned their heads to look behind them as though they had just realised she was there and Miller looked at her from his place on the floor, apparently just as surprised as her about her outburst. Averting his gaze to the floor, he angrily stood, brushing dirt from his jeans, and shuffled to his seat.

He sat down heavily, avoiding Jess' gaze. She continued to stare at him, intrigued. She wondered whether he had always been like this. Maybe he had been a sweet child, with dungarees and a head of blonde curls rather than the messy dark bedhead and oversized flannel shirt he was currently sporting. She imagined him playing with the kids on his street, having actual friends. Maybe even a crush on the girl over the road. She held in a smile. Maybe he wasn't that bad… He could just be a big softie.

Without looking away from the desk, he raised his left arm and flipped his middle finger at her. "Stop staring at me. Fucking weirdo."

She blinked, snapping her head forward as she felt her neck and ears start to heat up. Or maybe not.


	2. Lunchtime

******As a newbie to this stuff **I am seriously blown away by the response to the first chapter of this story! Thank you so much guys! I suddenly feel this pressure to not disappoint now. I feel like Nick in Tinfinity... I'm _having_ an anxiety attack.

**Thank you to Captain Crunk for helping me out with everything, and making sure my writing isn't too British. They have hallways in America, not corridors. This isn't Harry Potter.**

Chapter Two - Lunchtime

"_Mom! Come quickly, there's been an accident!" Jess cried from her Mom's bedroom doorway._

_Joan sat up, her hair wild, throwing her covers back. "What?! Where?"_

"_Outside the house, quick, he needs our help!"_

_Joan flew out of bed, pulling on her flimsy robe in a panic. Jess was panting in the doorway, fully dressed in her usual polkadots, her hair piled on top of her head. The two bounded down the stairs two at a time, coming to rest at the open doorway, doubling over for a few seconds before raising their heads. A confused Bob stood in the place of the supposed horrific accident._

"_I've just come to collect Jess." He said, frowning, before eyeing his ex-wife's current outfit. Satin nightie with a lace trim._

_Joan swiftly pulled her robe tightly around herself, turning to face Jess with a flustered and annoyed eyebrow raise. Jess grinned widely at the increasing shade of beetroot flushing her Mom's face._

"_JESS!"_

"Jess!"

Jess jerked awake. She had dozed off planning her next parent trap and was collapsed awkwardly over the desk, glasses askew, one hand lolling by her side. She lifted her head, blinking. Mr. Shiller was stood in the doorway, observing the students before him.

"Were you asleep Jess?" he asked, inclining his head towards her, looking at her over his glasses. She shook her head rapidly, sniffing and running a hand over her face. Everyone in the room was looking at her. She checked for drool, her hand flying under her chin. She wasn't an attractive sleeper.

"Mr. Shiller," Schmidt whined as he put his hand up, "when do we get lunch? This is an invasion of rights!" As if on cue, his stomach let out a long, drawn out growl, making him grimace and clutch it, shooting puppy eyes at the teacher. Shiller drew his mouth into a thin line, a sign that he was not impressed.

"You can eat the lunch you brought whenever you like, but you're not allowed to leave this classroom once you have. No trips to the vending machines, nothing. Only to the bathroom. So think about that before you dive in." Shiller replied shortly. Schmidt looked suitably horrified.

"But I didn't bring anything, no one said anything about needing your own lunch!"

"Well then. Looks like you'll have to share."

Shiller exited the room, leaving Schmidt to shoot a desperate look at his fellow classmates. Jess thought of the sliced banana and cheese puff sandwich in her bag and felt a twinge of sympathy for him. She wanted to offer some, but she was still afraid to speak, and had a feeling he wouldn't like her unusual choice of filling. Jess hadn't met anyone so far who appreciated her unique taste in pretty much everything, especially packed lunches - nestled beside her sandwich was a packet of strawberry laces and some Hubba Bubba. Her stomach grumbled at the thought. Was it lunchtime already?

"Here," Cece offered, taking out a tray from her bag and extending it to him. He raised his eyebrows at her.

"What on earth is that?!"

"Sushi."

"Is it edible?"

Cece rolled her eyes. "It's my lunch. You can have some, or you can starve. Your choice. I'm trying to be nice."

He cautiously took it from her manicured hand and withdrew quickly like a scared animal, nodding his thanks to her. She smiled a little before turning back to her desk, retrieving a pair of chopsticks and tossing them to him. He caught them, bewildered. "What are these for?"

Cece stared at him. "They're what you use to eat the sushi."

Schmidt, clearly used to microwave meals and fast food, turned them over in his hands, making tiny exasperated noises as everyone looked on amusedly.

"Watch yourself there fat kid. You might just burn some calories trying to figure out how to use them," Miller piped up from behind. Jess swivelled her head to look at him. His converse clad feet were propped up on the table and he was doodling what looked like a zombie apocalypse on them with a marker pen. He had no bag, and appeared to have no intention of eating any lunch. She sighed, reaching for her backpack, looking forward to the sweet and salty taste of her own food. Winston had brought half a chicken, it seemed.

Schmidt abandoned the chopsticks and carefully picked up a piece with his fingers, much to Cece's disdain. He popped it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully, before his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Oh my god," he announced, his mouth still full of rice and fish, "this is delectable!"

Cece and Winston laughed as Schmidt started giggling and swaying while he munched. Jess was frozen, sandwich half way to her mouth, staring at him. He was quite the strange one.

Miller was grimacing at the scene before him. "I miss Saturday detentions _alone_," he stated loudly, flicking out a lighter and proceeding to burn off the plastic coating on the end of his laces.

The room was filled with the sound of crunching and swallowing as the group ate silently. As they were finishing up, Jess chewing her bright bubblegum and Cece and Schmidt handing napkins out, Miller stood and stretched, his body making little popping sounds as he straightened out his spine. Jess blew a particularly large bubble as he stretched in her direction. The gum popped and stuck to the tip of her nose and he smirked at her as she scrambled to peel it off.

He dropped his hands by his sides, exhaling loudly. "Alright losers, I'm off to get some lunch. Cover for me."

"What?" Winston asked, throwing the last of his trash in a plastic bag and accepting a napkin for his greasy fingers. "We're not supposed to leave the room."

"Yeah, _I know_," Miller replied in a _duh, obviously_ voice. "What Shiller doesn't know won't hurt him."

Jess popped another bubble with her finger, wincing at how loud it sounded. Miller turned to look at her.

"Four eyes. Do you want to come?" he asked, pointing a finger at her. She nearly choked on her gum.

He was asking _her_ to accompany him on a dangerous adventure around the building? Jessica Day, school weirdo, always on time, never misbehaving, _that_ Jess Day?

She was just gazing wide eyed at him as he slowly lowered his arm, peering at her. "I don't mind you so much. You don't speak. You don't piss me off." He said. She felt a pang of embarrassment at her vigilant silence up until now. She really must look like a psycho.

"I speak!" she attempted to reply, but it came out more like a croak due to how long she'd gone without using her voice box. She cleared her throat, tipping her head up defiantly.

"I speak. My name is Jess Day, I'm sixteen, my parents are going through a divorce right now and I didn't want to be at home so I put dye in the water tanks by the girl's changing rooms and when the cheerleaders started having pink showers they screamed and someone ran out and caught me so I-"

"Jesus Christ," Miller interrupted, holding up a hand to halt her. "I've changed my mind. Please shut your mouth."

Jess withdrew, taking in a huge breath, her thick frames slipping down her nose after her little rant. She hadn't meant for all that to come out. Probably a side effect of someone as chatty as her trying to keep quiet for so long.

"That was _you_?!" Cece gasped, narrowing her eyes dangerously. "Jessica P. had to go and have a deep cleanse and a therapy session after that incident. You bitch!"

Alarmed, Jess leaned slightly backwards as Cece turned in her seat to fully face her. _Well, lesson learned Jess. Don't open your mouth, you're pretty much guaranteed to immediately piss everyone off._

Schmidt chuckled to himself, eventually causing Winston to join in. "Sorry," he said, his double chin wobbling a bit at his attempt to control his mirth, "just as far as pranks go, that's pretty funny."

"I'm just imagining those chicks' faces," Winston snorted, his amusement eliciting a severe frown from Cece which soon turned into a tiny smile, the glint in her eyes betraying her internal laughter.

"She did tell me she thought she'd been shot at first," Cece offered, making the two guys grunt and convulse hysterically in a very unattractive manner. Jess covered her mouth with her hand, stifling a giggle.

Miller had wandered to the open doorway as the group tried to calm down, sticking his head out into the hallway. He reappeared after a few seconds. "Shiller's gone for lunch, the hypocritical bastard."

"He's not here?" Winston asked, rising out of his seat.

"No. He sometimes goes down to the local deli for lunch. I guess you could say I do the same." Miller grinned widely, before giving a small salute and slipping out of the doorway.

Jess hadn't realised but her feet had somehow carried her out of her seat and after him. This guy made her super curious and for some reason unknown to her she wanted to see more of his world, which seemed to be taken up mostly by detention, something she had never been familiar with. Before she knew it, she was following him down the hall, the rest of the group hot on her heels. Even Schmidt had tagged along, obviously not keen on staying in the classroom by himself.

The atmosphere had become tense all of a sudden with the threat of being caught breaking the rules. Schmidt seemed particularly concerned with this. He was puffing alongside Winston, whispering furiously.

"This breaks so many school laws you know! If my mother found out I was carrying out such a criminal offense right now-"

"I will commit a real criminal offense if you don't shut up right now." Winston snapped quietly back at him, causing him to promptly close his mouth and retreat a few steps behind him.

Miller had slowed to a stop outside a scruffy looking locker. Jess tilted her head, watching as he carried out a complicated set of taps and punches to its door before it sprang open. He looked at her with the ghost of a smile on his face as she laughed delightedly at his technique.

"That's cool," she said quietly as he reached inside.

He pulled out a bag of multi-coloured lollipops and tossed them at her. "I stole these. They look like they're your kind of thing." He gestured at her multi-coloured outfit as she caught the treats at her chest. She couldn't tell whether he was insulting her or not. He also threw a large bag of chips over his shoulder at Schmidt, who looked like he might pass out from relief.

Jess held the bag up, smiling. The candy was old fashioned, swirling and glistening pastel colours meeting in the middle. She pulled one out and licked it. It was delicious and reminded her of childhood trips to the beach, before her parents had started arguing.

"OK," Miller announced as he pulled out a wrapped burrito and a small packet of what looked like mown grass, before slamming the locker shut with force. He turned to the group, leaning against the metal, unwrapping his lunch. "Serious kid. You up for a game of basketball?"


	3. The Great Escape

**So it doesn't matter that Sky WiFi is a joke because I discovered the wonderfully innovative invention that is iPhone hotspots, which is great because I was itching to get another chapter out. I just wrote the 'big' chapter so I'm now excited**** to get to that point :) As always, Captain Crunk is the absolute best!**

Chapter Three – The Great Escape

_Bounce, bounce, squeak. Bounce, squeak._

The sound of the guys dribbling the basketball around the sports hall filled the silence settling between Jess and Cece as they sat on the bleachers watching them play. Schmidt was stood awkwardly to the side, cowering every time Miller faked a hard pass towards him and merely slapping the ball away from himself when Winston tried to get him to join in. Eventually they resorted to letting Schmidt stand under the net and pass the ball back to them if they scored, which seemed to please everybody.

"So, how come you're so quiet?" Cece eventually asked, smoothing her barely there skirt over her caramel legs. Jess wished her legs were that nice. She always kept them covered with thick wool tights or knee length dresses because she thought they were too skinny. She'd had a crush on her lab partner Spencer after he'd admitted to her that he didn't want to dissect their frog because it was animal cruelty, so one day she'd hiked up her favourite polka-dot skirt just to see what would happen, knowing that was how the popular girls acquired male attention. As soon as she walked into class one of the boys at the back (probably Miller's friend) had called her Chicken Legs and everyone laughed. She didn't try that technique again.

Jess shrugged. "I'm not. I just didn't want anybody to make fun of me. I say weird things sometimes."

She looked to Cece and chuckled at her raised eyebrows. "Okay. Most of the time."

Cece rested the side of her face in her hand, her head tilted away from Jess. Winston put the ball in the net for the seventh time, fist pumping as Schmidt threw it to Miller in an extremely feminine fashion. "My friends call you the basketcase you know," she said over the sound of Miller and Winston arguing. "Well…I guess that's what we all called you."

Jess pushed her glasses up her nose nervously. "Oh." Was all she could think of to reply. "I didn't think you even knew I existed."

Cece nodded thoughtfully. "I don't think you _are_ though. Like, you're not unhinged or anything. You're just a little odd."

"…Thanks, I guess?"

Cece laughed, and then went quiet for a while. Jess chose to use that time to thoughtfully suck on the edge of her lollipop. Miller missed the net again and turned around, shaking his head in annoyance as Winston laughed. He glanced upward and caught her eye over the top of the candy. She lifted the lolly and gave him a nod of appreciation, her face breaking out into a grin. He rolled his eyes, flipping her another obscene hand gesture as he resumed the game. She took it as a _you're welcome_, noting with good nature that she was sure she was making progress.

"So what's the deal with your parents, are they total dicks?" Cece continued, picking at her nail polish. Jess took a few moments to reply, before she shook her head.

"No," she replied, smacking her sticky lips together, "they're just too busy getting divorced to remember I'm there. I'm more of an object they're fighting over, kind of like the dining table they bought together."

She felt the beautiful girl's eyes on her and shifted uncomfortably, her gaze darting around the room, looking for something to change the subject to. She wasn't used to talking about her parents. The small group of friends she had at school never asked her about it because they were as timid as her and didn't want any awkwardness or conflict. Cece seemed to be the exact opposite.

Jess noticed a blue and white pom-pom on the floor under her seat, and eyed it pensively. "Why didn't you ever join the cheerleaders?" she asked. "You're like the most popular girl in school. You'd think it came with the territory."

Cece shrugged offhandedly. "I was never any good at it. I'm not built to be thrown in the air." She tapped her chest lightly, raising her eyebrows. Jess giggled, blowing her bangs out of her eyes.

Her expression became grim. "I always have to go along with everything my friends say. Y'know. Boys, clothes and stuff. This felt like something I could decide not to do. It was my choice."

"You always have a choice," Jess said immediately, frowning. Cece was silent, so she shuffled a little closer. "So…what _can_ you do?"

Cece sighed, watching the boys, before a knowing smile spread across her face as she turned to Jess.

"I was actually always…" she shook her head and laughed. "I was always really good at-"

The ball sailed over to the girls and bounced off the seat between them, making them jump. Jess let out a squeak, covering her eyes, as Miller shouted "heads up!" just a little too late, a smirk forming on his face. Jess slammed her hands down on to the seat, glaring at him.

"Hey, pass it back dollface," he shouted, his grin infuriating her. She picked the ball up, ready to throw it with all her might at his head, but Cece put a manicured hand on top of it before she could do anything.

"I'll handle it," she whispered, taking the ball from her and hopping out of her seat, making her way down the steps to the boys' level. Winston met her at the bottom, holding his hand out expectantly.

"Don't worry," he said with a smile, "I'll defend your honor."

Cece withdrew her hand, cocking an eyebrow. "Oh, hell no."

She turned her hand over, slamming the ball down and cutting around Winston, who still had his arm outstretched, staring blankly ahead. She dribbled the ball past Miller and half way down the court, before she lifted her arms and with expert precision sent the ball soaring straight into the back of the net.

Jess' mouth had formed a perfect 'O' as Cece turned to her and curtsied, the only sound in the hall the soft bounce of rubber on polished wood as the ball made its way to the corner of the room, forgotten.

"That's what I was gonna say before we were rudely interrupted," she declared. Jess stood and clapped enthusiastically, cheering as Winston and Miller grumbled behind her. She heard the word 'fluke' mentioned.

Schmidt shrugged and clapped too, much to the boys' irritation. "What?" he asked as they glowered at him. "She made you two look like a bunch of amateurs."

Miller took two large steps towards him and pushed him over with a loud thud. "Ow!" he pouted, rubbing his backside. "That was unnecessary."

"_MILLER!_"

Everyone froze and looked at the doorway. "Shit. You hear that?" Winston whispered loudly, his eyes wide.

"It's Shiller." Miller stated matter-of-factly. Jess felt her heart rate pick up as she realised they were gonna get caught. Her Mom was going to _kill_ her. She fixed her panicked gaze on Miller and he seemed to sense it because he glanced at her, his bravado faltering as he twisted his face in indecision. A couple of tense seconds passed before he sighed exasperatedly.

"Go back to class, I got this." He muttered, jogging over to the ball and grabbing it as everyone stared at him. He waved Cece off as he passed her. "He thinks it's just me."

Jess clambered over the seats, meeting the group at the bottom of the steps as Miller threw the fire doors open, sunlight streaming into the hall. Everyone else piled hurriedly behind the main door just before Shiller strolled purposefully in. Jess held her breath.

"You little son of a bitch!" he shouted, removing his hands from his hips and marching straight across the hall and past the metal doors to the outdoor court, where Miller was dribbling the ball backwards and forwards and pretending to be a commentator.

"…And it's Nick Miller with the ball, the world's youngest pro baller to ever make it to the NBA, the greatest sports prodigy to ever grace the earth with his presence…" she heard faintly as he cheered himself on, taking a shot just as Shiller grabbed his arm. Jess bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from grinning at the sight, before she slipped quietly out of the hall behind the others.

They sprinted as fast as they dared, skidding around the corner to classroom 4D. They had barely been in their seats for five minutes before Shiller dragged Miller by the scruff of his neck into the room, Miller looking uninterested as he was practically thrown into his seat.

Shiller glanced around the room at everyone's slightly flushed faces. Jess was trying her hardest not to appear out of breath, but she had a feeling it was making her face turn an unattractive shade of purple. She put her hands over her cheeks, taking short, whistling breaths through her nose.

"What the hell is going on?" Shiller asked angrily. He gestured at Schmidt, who was perspiring spectacularly and fanning himself with his shirt. He let out a high pitched, nervous giggle, making Shiller narrow his eyes. "Have you been out of your seats? I hope this low life hasn't rubbed any of his habits off on you."

Jess looked at Miller, who was kicking the leg of his desk, his arms folded as he scowled at the floor. Shiller chuckled to himself. "I see what's happening. You think he's cool."

Everyone remained quiet as he continued. "Let me tell you something kids. This pathetic excuse for a man, this little shit," he pointed at Miller, who shifted in his seat, glaring at him, "will not amount to _anything_. Go on, follow him, see where you end up. I bet my life savings it'll be in jail."

Jess felt her mouth drop open a little. She was sure he wasn't allowed to talk to them like this. Was this how people were treated in detention? No wonder Miller was such a douchebag.

"You," he said, pointing at Winston, who frowned back. "I'd be careful if I were you. You just got here, you have a bright future. Don't let poor judgement take that away from you. And Schmidt!"

Schmidt jumped, snapping to attention. "Yes sir?"

"You're top of your class aren't you? Do you really think you'll end up a successful businessman if you do what this sad little man tells you? You're already at a disadvantage with that body mass index."

"Hey!" Jess cried before she could stop herself. This was bullying, and she wouldn't stand for it. Shiller looked up at her, surprised, before his features turned to a look of recognition. He sighed.

"And I would have just expected better from you of all people, Jess."

She felt herself blush, and said nothing further.

Shiller addressed the class, walking slowly through the desks. "This is as good as life gets for Nick Miller, right here, in detention," he said. Miller had been watching Jess' reaction curiously, but snapped his face forward again as Shiller advanced towards him. "He's gonna leave here, probably knock up some poor girl, and end up wandering around aimlessly, drinking and selling knockoff watches."

He reached Miller's desk, and Jess saw that his hands were balled into fists as he fought for self-control, fixing the teacher with a filthy look. Shiller smirked at him. "Just like your worthless, loser, low life of a father."

Miller shot out of his seat, the chair flying backwards. "Don't you _ever_ _talk_ about my Da_-_"

There was a knock on the open door, accompanied by a throat being cleared loudly. Everyone whipped their heads around to see the school janitor perched awkwardly in the doorway, his eyebrows raised. "I've just come to clean up."

There were a few seconds of silence as everyone stared at him, still distracted by the scene that had almost happened. Then Shiller ran a hand through his hair, smiling at him. "Sure thing Remy, I'll get out of your hair. I'm just taking _him_ to solitary."

Remy raised a hand in greeting. "Nick."

Miller nodded back. "Remy."

Remy wheeled his cleaning supplies into the room as Shiller grabbed his arm, ready to pull him away from the desk. Miller shoved his arm away furiously. "Don't fucking touch me."

Shiller stepped back, palms raised in surrender as Miller let out a slow breath, before pushing past him and stalking out of the room.

Everyone was deathly quiet as Remy went about his business, sweeping the floor and emptying the trashcans. He looked up as he shook the final can into a large black liner. "Nick never has company," he stated. "Occasionally he has one of his burnout friends with him but I've never seen any of you kids before."

"I've never been in detention," Schmidt piped up.

"Me neither."

"Yeah, I haven't."

Jess put her hand up. Remy stared at her for a moment. "You don't need to raise you hand, I'm not a teacher."

"Oh, right, yeah." Jess stuttered, feeling foolish. "I just wanted to know where Miller's being taken. Shi- er, Mr. Shiller said something about solitary?"

Remy nodded solemnly. "Yeah, sometimes Russell puts him in the supplies cupboard down the hall."

Schmidt gasped. "Is that even legal?"

Remy shrugged, putting the can down. "Beats me. I'm just the janitor. Nobody tells me anything."

Jess started to nibble nervously on her fingernails. Remy was watching her, a contemplative look on his face.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Cece asked.

"Yeah, Miller seemed pretty pissed. I wouldn't be surprised if you had to clean his entrails off the hallway floor by the end of today. Mental note: don't mention his Dad," Winston piped up. Cece turned to him.

"I was talking about Miller," she retorted sharply.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Remy replied, piling his supplies back into his bucket. "You guys just stay here and get through the rest of today. Whatever you do, don't get any ideas."

Jess looked up to find Remy's eyes on her as he made his way out of the room. He held his hand up, where a small key was dangling from his index finger. He winked at her and dropped the key into a container of paperclips. She drew in a breath, her eyes flitting to where the key had landed.

"No ideas." He said, and then he left, trailing his supplies after him. "Russell!" they heard him yell as he retreated down the hallway. "I've got a leak to show you in the basement. I think we need to get a team in."

The group heard Remy and Shiller leave, their voices getting steadily quieter. Jess looked again at the place he had dropped the key.

There it was, glinting amongst the paperclips, a small blue tag attached to it.

Jess grinned to herself. _No ideas_.


	4. Dope

**Captain Crunk helped a huge deal with this chapter, I take my hat off to him. Chapter four everyone :D**

Chapter Four – Dope

"Come here often comrade?"

Miller was slouched in the corner of the cupboard on an upturned plastic bucket, one elbow resting on a pile of boxes next to him. His head shot up at the sound of the door opening and Jess saw his face light up for a fraction of a second when he realised he had company, before his usual scowl took over.

"How…" he trailed off when he spotted the key swinging from Jess' hand. He laughed. "Remy. The wily rascal."

Jess was resting against the doorframe, a huge grin on her face. It felt good to break the rules. Miller was having a seriously bad influence on her, and she was having a hard time trying to hide the fact that she was loving every second of it.

She shuffled to the side, letting the rest of the group pass. Schmidt stepped around her, pulling an unimpressed face as he inspected Miller's current living conditions. He was soon followed by Cece and Winston, who piled in and made themselves comfortable on upturned boxes and containers. Jess seated herself on a metal stepladder, facing Miller. He was smirking proudly.

"So you're joining me huh?" he asked, pulling one of his knees up to his chest.

"Well we figured we all committed the crime, we should all do the time right?" Winston admitted, shrugging. "Plus, Shiller is an asshole. We haven't listened to him all day, there's no point in starting now."

"Yeah, what he said was not cool," Cece said, shaking her head. Miller waved her off.

"It's fine," he said, his face turning passive. "I'm fine."

"Well, we're here if you want to talk about it." Jess offered softly. Miller caught her eye, a shadow of something she couldn't quite place passing over his features.

"There's nothing to talk about," he said sharply. "And if there was…which there _isn't_…I wouldn't talk about it with you."

Jess pushed her glasses up her nose, her stomach dropping. "Right, sorry." She averted her gaze, feeling stupid.

Cece cleared her throat, clapping her hands together. "We should play a game."

Miller snorted. Cece glared at him. "Have any better ideas genius?"

"Actually, I do." Miller replied, reaching into his pocket and bringing out the small packet of green stuff he had previously taken from his locker. Winston's forehead wrinkled as his eyebrows shot up.

"Are you serious man? In _school_?"

Miller shrugged. Schmidt, who had been staring at his hand, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, suddenly gasped, his fingers flying to his mouth. "Oh my…is that..?"

Jess was confused. What was happening? She watched Schmidt as he spluttered behind his hand.

"Calm down before you have a stroke dude."

"It is! It's marijuana!"

Jess flicked her gaze to Miller's hand again, feeling her heartbeat go up a few notches. _What?!_

Miller was pulling out his packet of tobacco, placing everything on the box next to him. He removed a filter and put it between his teeth as he started to roll what Jess now knew to be a definite _joint_. She was all for going a bit rogue but this was way out of her comfort zone. She gave Schmidt a panicked look.

"Do you approve of this?" he whispered loudly, clearly quite distressed. Jess just stared at him, her eyes huge.

"Relax chubs. You and four eyes don't have to have any," Miller said before he ran his tongue along the edge of the paper, pressing it down with his fingertips and sealing it shut. He looked up at Jess, who was trying to appear nonchalant. The way her chest was rapidly rising and falling in her panic was giving her away, and he noticed. He nodded reassuringly at her, placing the roll-up in his mouth and digging in his pocket for his lighter.

Schmidt was chewing his lip hesitantly and wringing his hands. "No, I want some." He stated, his voice wavering ever so slightly. Everyone looked at him. Jess was scowling, trying to burn her objection into his brain. He looked at her, his face strikingly similar to that of a cornered animal.

"Schmidt, no one is forcing you." She said quietly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I know. It's just…" he altered his position on the box he was currently occupying. "I'm never gonna get the chance again. What's the worst that can happen, right?"

She stared at him, appalled. "You'll die."

Winston chuckled. "Nobody is going to die. This is supposed to be fun."

Miller sparked up, taking small puffs. "Specs," he said as he blew out a cloud of smoke, "I would never let you die." He gave her the scarcest of smiles. She pouted at him.

"Let me try it," Cece demanded, holding her hand out. Miller passed it to her and she took a long drag. She immediately started choking and having a coughing fit, her hand over her chest. Miller laughed, patting her on the back.

"You're gonna regret that sugar," he said, his voice laced with amusement as Cece tried to mop her streaming eyes with her sleeve. "You're supposed to take it in slowly."

Cece raised her head, her eyes glazing over. "What now? I feel really tingly and weird."

Winston took the joint from her slack grip and put it in his mouth, inhaling deeply. Miller nodded, impressed. He shrugged, blowing out a smoky breath.

"I saw my sister do it once or twice," he confessed, passing it to Schmidt, who held it at arm's length, looking terrified.

Jess eyed him doubtfully as he slowly brought it to his mouth, taking a small amount. He waited, then took another. Then frowned, and took another. Miller hastily leaned forward and snatched it out of his hand. "Well don't take it all you greedy shit."

Jess looked around. Everyone seemed pretty normal to her, if not a little more chilled out than usual. Cece was leaning back against the wall, gazing at the ceiling. Winston was squinting ahead, and Schmidt had gone slightly cross-eyed as he stared unabashedly at Cece's chest. Jess locked eyes with Miller, who raised the roll-up with a cocked eyebrow, a sideways smile making its way on to his face. She shook her head. He shrugged.

"You know you're gonna get high from the fumes anyway right?" he said, taking another drag. She twisted around, scanning the tiny, already hazy closet in horror. _Oh, crumbs_.

"Hey. Hey, guys," Schmidt giggled, sitting forward, nearly falling off his seat and hitting the concrete floor face first. "Guys listen to me, I have a secret."

Everyone waited while he composed himself, before he opened his mouth, glancing around giddily. "I'm a virgin."

There was a long silence. "Yeah, we know," Miller answered, amazed. He looked at Jess. She felt a giggle bubbling up from her chest. Come to think of it, she felt a bit funny and light.

Oh dear.

Jess snorted, then clapped her hand over her mouth. Oh good Lord, she was in trouble.

"Does anyone else feel really heavy? I am definitely, without doubt, sinking into this bucket." Cece announced, spreading her arms either side of herself. She grabbed the walls, her hands trying to find a grip on the slippery surface.

"I feel naughty," Winston giggled. He winked at Schmidt, who withdrew, alarmed.

"I'll have what he's having," Miller giggled, jabbing his thumb at Winston. Jess burst out laughing, feeling tears pricking her eyes. A warm feeling was spreading through her stomach. She blinked a few times, trying to see through what was now quite a thick fog, with no success. She could hear voices, but they seemed so far away.

She was just so _relaxed_. She lay back, her head hitting the shelf behind her. It was as good a spot as any to rest her eyes.

* * *

The voices were coming back. She felt like she was underwater. She scrunched her face up, waving the voices away. "Get out of my room Mom."

That was definitely a laugh. She cracked one eye open, her blurry vision slowly coming into focus. Pretty eyes. Nice flowery smell. She opened her other eye, groaning.

"And she's back," Cece announced, amused. She patted Jess' cheek, turning away to take a seat again.

Jess sat up, rubbing the back of her head. "Did I pass out?"

Everyone nodded sleepily. "Don't worry, you weren't the only one," Winston said, gesturing to a sheepish looking Schmidt. Jess laughed nervously.

"Enjoy your trip?" Miller asked, pleased with himself. Without thinking, she stuck two fingers up at him. He looked like all his Christmases had come at once as she inhaled sharply and retracted her hand, appalled at her actions.

"You did this," She whispered, aghast. He bit the inside of his cheek, his eyes glinting.

"Well that was really fun. I can cross that one off my bucket list," Schmidt stated happily.

"You have a bucket list? You're sixteen," Cece laughed.

"One never knows when one might die in a horrible accident," Schmidt shot back, deadly serious. "Life is a precious gift. I intend to live it to the fullest."

"We can see that," Miller said, his eyes raking over Schmidt's large midriff. Schmidt glared at him.

"At least I have aspirations," he snapped. Miller's face darkened. Jess felt her stomach clench. _Oh no._

"What was that Big Mac?" he shot back, straightening up. Winston leaned forward, reaching out to separate the two.

"Woah, guys, there's no need for-"

"I'm sick of him calling me fat," Schmidt muttered. Miller snorted at him.

"You should have thought of that before you ingested the whole of the fast food court at the mall. I'm surprised you didn't get the munchies back there, not that you need dope as an excuse."

Schmidt looked hurt as he struggled for a reply, eventually choosing to back down and slump against the wall dejectedly. Jess thought this was a good idea - Miller felt a lot like a very sensitive bomb, ready to go off at any moment. She looked at the guy opposite her, who was chewing his lip, his brow furrowed as his eyes darted around the room. Miller's eyes fell on her and she tilted her head, regarding him with a questioning look.

"Wanna know why I'm in here today?" He said suddenly, making everyone look at him in surprise. "My Dad is a con artist. I haven't seen him in two months and my Ma tends to just stay in bed all day when he's gone this long. We don't have a lot of money so I stole a bunch of stuff from the school kitchen…so my brothers would have something good to eat, y'know? Because my Ma hasn't been cooking or anything." He glanced around the room. "There's only so much beef jerky you can eat before you start to get seriously weird bowel movements."

He laughed to himself, shaking his head. "Sometimes I wish I didn't have to look after everybody."

Jess swallowed thickly, watching as Miller picked at the frayed bottoms of his jeans. "That's why I'm in detention." He finished. Cece leaned over and patted him on the shoulder, before he quickly shrugged her off.

"I had pills in my locker," Schmidt muttered quietly. "A lot of pills. Like, a dangerous amount."

Jess gasped softly. "You weren't…"

Schmidt waved her off. "They were diet pills. I ordered them from this dubious-looking website and I was just holding them…until I figured out what to do. I knew once I got them that I shouldn't take them. I had a weak moment."

Jess suddenly wanted to laugh. She felt like she was in one of those support groups she saw on TV, where people twitched and chewed their fingernails and talked about their problems. She wanted to say "_let it all out Schmidt. This is a safe place_." But she didn't.

"Well, I guess if we're doing this, I'm in here because I slapped that bitch, Tiffany Alcroft," Cece said into the silence.

"Oh, that totally changes my image of you," Miller scoffed. "Totally blown."

"I could say the same about your reason," she bit back, making him shut his mouth. "I slapped her because she said that my Mom was such a bitch, my Dad was probably over the moon when he found out he had cancer, just so he could get away from her."

There was a collective intake of breath as everyone avoided eye contact. That was _harsh_.

"Woah," Winston muttered.

"Yeah. My Mom _is_ a bitch, but no one else gets to say that about her. Especially when it tarnishes the memory of my Dad." Cece replied darkly.

"I just wanted my parents to notice me," Jess piped up nervously, feeling like she wanted in on this conversation. She had a lot in common with these people, way more than she could have ever imagined. They were talking about real problems, like they mattered. She never thought what she was experiencing at home mattered, never thought it was _worth talking about_, until now. "All they do is fight and tell me to leave the room. It's horrible. I thought maybe… it sounds stupid but I thought they might shout at me, together. Like a normal family."

"Did they?" Cece asked. Jess shook her head sadly.

"My Mom didn't even ask what I'd done to end up here today. All she knows is I'm in detention."

"Your parents ignore you," Miller said. Their eyes locked, and she knew he knew exactly how she felt. He looked away. "What are you in here for?" he asked Winston.

Winston shrugged. "I played a prank on my friend." Everyone stared at him expectantly. "I superglued his hand to his lunch tray. He had to have it cut away and soaked for four hours."

Jess opened and closed her mouth a few times, baffled. "Why did you do that?"

"I don't know. I'm not very good with pranks."

The room went silent. Out of nowhere, Jess started to giggle. She pressed her lips together, eyes widening as everyone looked at her. "Sorry," she gasped, feeling her eyes start to water, "I just…"

She snorted and let out a belly laugh, eliciting a snigger from Winston, and before she knew it everyone was doubled over, clutching their stomachs as they cackled hysterically.

Jess sighed, wiping her eyes with her palm. "Guys," she said, trying to restore her previous breathing pattern, "Are we friends?"

She winced at how lame that came out. Schmidt smiled at her. "I consider us friends," he replied. She reached over and squeezed his shoulder, and he blushed. Cece cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Sure, we're friends," she said. "Just not at school."

"What do you mean?" Schmidt asked, offended. "You don't want to be seen with us?"

"It's not that, it's just…it's not an ideal situation."

Winston leaned forward. "Yeah, I mean, we've been forced together today and we've made it work somehow. But we're not exactly compatible." He glanced at Miller when he said this, who scowled deeply.

"What the prince and princess are trying to say is that they're too cool to hang out with you," Miller said. "And they're too spineless to admit it."

Winston and Cece glared at him. "You're no different," Winston snapped. "You would never be seen with any of us in a million years."

"True," Miller admitted, leaning back. "But at least I'm honest about it."

"You jerk!" Jess cried, making him snap his head towards her in shock. "That is such a…a shitty thing to do! Schmidt and I are clearly better people than all of you!"

Miller leaned forward, facing her. "What did you expect four eyes? That everything was gonna be sunshine and daisies and ribbons on Monday? Life isn't like whatever you see in your little rainbow tinted brain."

Jess scoffed, hurt. "Just because I seem happy all the time doesn't mean I don't feel awful on the inside, especially when the people I thought were my friends decide their stupid status quo is more important! You, Miller, of all people-"

"Woah, hold up, you don't know anything about me," Miller cut in, frowning.

Oh, so you're not doing all your stupid crimes and acting like a douche all the time to get the attention you clearly don't get at home?" she snapped, feeling her anger starting to boil over. _Uh oh, here come the hormones again_.

Miller was staring at her, his mouth slightly open, anger stirring in his eyes. "No."

"Don't _lie_! You think you're such a mystery but you're not, mister! You're hoping your Dad will somehow notice your behaviour and it will make him come back so you can have a real family. I know how it _feels-"_

Miller stood up. "Shut up. Don't talk about him."

Jess took a deep breath in. "Why do you have to shut everybody out? We all have problems, it doesn't mean you have to be so rude to everybody-"

"I'm warning you Jess, stop."

"You're just an insecure person trying to-"

Miller stepped up to her, making her halt her rant, breathing heavily. She put a hand on his chest, trying to stop him from coming any further. She could feel his erratic heartbeat under her palm. He looked at her, his features cloudy with anger.

He took a deep breath in through his nose. "Look, we all get it, you're the cute little chick with the big eyes and you just know everything about _everything_, and you're all quiet until something needs to be said and then it's always something really important, but guess what," he snarled in her face, "you're not actually all that special so how about you just shut up and stop trying to analyse me, because everything you're saying is fucking _wrong_."

She tried not to let his words sting her, but they did. "Why are you such an _asshole_?!" She shoved him in the chest. He stumbled back, his features contorted in fury as she panted heavily, tossing her head back.

Cece cleared her throat. "Maybe we should-"

"Shut up Cece," they spat in unison, glowering at each other. She huffed, irritated, muttering something about 'stupid' and 'pointless'.

"You know what," Jess said, pointing at Miller angrily, her trembling voice betraying her hurt, "I don't care what you think of me. Unlike you,_ I'm_ leaving here with a future."

Miller's face dropped as he stared at her. She felt her heart hammer painfully against her ribcage as guilt washed over her. She'd crossed a line. Miller sniffed, fixing his gaze on the wall next to her, his face devoid of emotion. "Well," he said. "At least I'm not a crazy, loner, virgin bitch."

_Ouch_. There was nothing but the sound of heavy breathing as Jess felt her face heat up in embarrassment. She wasn't sure what had just happened, everything had escalated so quickly. She touched her cheek. It was wet. She rubbed her hand over it, trying to calm down. "I hate you," she whispered shakily. Miller looked at her.

"Yeah, me too."

She stared at him, wondering if he was talking about her or himself.

"Guys, it's time for us to go. Shiller should be back any time soon," Winston cut in nervously. Jess turned her head, wiping her cheeks again and taking deep breaths.

"Fine by me." She stated, fixing her gaze on the door. Schmidt rose to his feet behind her and slouched past, his head down as he opened it. Light streamed in and everyone blinked a couple of times in the harsh glare, before making their way out.

The hallway seemed overly bright as they shuffled out in silence, and Jess could feel a headache approaching. She turned just in time to see Miller throw himself irritably on to his bucket again before Winston shut the door. Jess stepped forward and locked it, the power of being able to do so improving her mood ever so slightly.

She blew out a long breath when she reached classroom 4D, resting her hand on the wall. Cece put her hand on her shoulder. "You okay Jess?"

She nodded. "I'm fine."

"Ignore him, he's just running his mouth. Like everyone keeps saying, he's going nowhere right?"

Jess prickled, feeling a sudden burst of defensiveness. "I thought we weren't friends?"

Cece's smile slipped off her face. She nodded sadly and left Jess leaning against the wall, feeling even worse. She dragged her feet to her desk, collapsing dejectedly into her seat and immediately putting her head down on the table with an audible _bang_. She could hear the others whispering but she didn't care. She just wanted to sink into the floor.

She had thought Miller might have listened to her. She thought they had had a brief connection, but she had been so wrong. How _humiliating_. Why did she have to go and put dye in the water tanks? If she hadn't today would never have happened. She would probably be at the arcade with Sadie and Rachel and Paul, exchanging tickets for prizes and eating popcorn. She wouldn't have met any of these people.

She let out a long, drawn out groan, rolling her forehead on the cool surface of the desk. Today was shaping up to be one of the worst Saturdays of her life, and it wasn't even four yet. She couldn't wait to get home, change into her teddy bear pyjama set and read Moby Dick on her window seat.

Most of all she just couldn't wait to leave this classroom, and never have to speak to Nick Miller ever again.


	5. See Ya

**New chapter, and I can now say that I am reconnected with the world thanks to my shiny new wifi! So I should be able to update a little bit sooner now, which is good for me because my favourite parts of this story are yet to come :D Hope you all enjoy the new episode tonight, I'll be back in the NG loop by tomorrow yeeeeaaahhh!**

Chapter Five – See Ya

Jess was inspecting the multi-coloured laces on her pink converse, her forehead against the edge of the desk, when the group finally approached her again. Shiller had returned to briefly glare at everyone suspiciously, then retreated to his office across the hall to shuffle through papers and pretend he had work to do, in reality flipping through a confiscated copy of _Playboy_.

Jess felt a shadow pass over her and rolled her head to the side, casting her eyes upward.

"Hey," Cece greeted, a smile on her face. "Can we sit?"

Jess shrugged, and the three sat down, Cece next to her, the boys on the desk in front, facing them. "We really didn't want to upset anyone Jess," Cece started as Jess lifted her head heavily from the table. Jess nodded. She'd had some time to think about it, and felt a little foolish about her outburst after realising that one day wasn't going to change the way school social structures had been functioning since the invention of education.

"I understand. What I said was stupid, I don't know what I thought was gonna happen after today." She picked at her blunt fingernails. "Sorry."

Cece raised her perfectly plucked eyebrows. "Don't be sorry! Winston and I should be saying sorry, we're too afraid of what other people think. We're not like you." She looked at Winston, who nodded at Jess guiltily.

"It's the way it is. We can't just change, it's not that easy."

Jess pursed her lips. "I wish it was. I think you're both really cool. Not the traditional kind of cool, but… Cece, you're so smart and badass, and your basketball skills are off the _hoooook_!" She drew out the last word and pulled a rapper stance, making everyone cringe and chuckle. "And Winston, you're like this chilled guy who just takes care of everybody."

Winston lifted his head, looking proud of himself as Jess smiled sadly at both of them. "It's such a shame no one else gets to see that."

"It's the same for you," Schmidt said to her. "No one knows how cool you are."

"Or you, Schmidt," Cece replied, smiling at him. Schmidt's eyes widened as he started to go purple.

"Man, I," he spluttered, not quite believing his luck, "I really _am_ gonna miss this," he grinned at her, and she rolled her eyes, reaching out to ruffle his hair playfully.

"So we thought," Winston announced, "that we should arrange to meet up again, in secret. The _Under The Sea_ dance is at the end of the year, right?" everyone nodded. "So, we could meet up then."

Cece clapped her hands together happily. "Yeah! That way, we have a chance to say goodbye to each other before the break."

Jess scrunched her face up. "But I wasn't gonna go to that. No one will ask me and I'll look stupid."

Technically, that was a lie. She knew that her friend Paul wanted to go with her, he had been hinting for weeks. As much as she loved him, she didn't _love_ him. At least, not the way she knew he felt about her. Not wanting to lead him on in any way, she had found it easier to just announce that she wasn't going to the dance at all. That way, she could avoid facing the awkward conversation she was sure would happen between her and Paul eventually.

Everyone was staring at her. As a female, she was fully expected to be _desperate_ to attend this dance. Jess wondered if this was the weirdest trait the group had witnessed all day. Cece certainly was looking at her like she had sprouted another head.

Schmidt sat forward. "Jess, will you accompany me to the dance?" he asked sheepishly, making Cece and Winston beam at him, and then her. Jess sighed, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. At least she would have a valid excuse for Paul.

"Ok, I'll…think about it," she huffed. Everyone nodded, satisfied.

"Great! Now please can I fix your nails?" Cece pleaded, making Jess laugh. She extended her hand, excited at the thought of a beauty session with the school goddess.

"Sure!"

Cece, it seemed, carried quite a number of cosmetic items around with her. Jess finally realised why she had such a lovely, slender body. She practically lifted weights every day.

She emptied the bag out on to the table, lipsticks, powders and various brushes tumbling out. Winston quickly excused himself, desperate to get back to his game strategies, but Schmidt stayed, proceeding to do a fantastic job of pestering Cece until she looked like she might claw his eyes out.

"Schmidt," she hissed for the third time in ten minutes, "not only are you blocking my light but you're also breathing on my neck and it's starting to really creep me out."

Schmidt leaned back a fraction, continuing to stare, fascinated, at Jess' hand as Cece painted a zigzag pattern of blues and greens on her nails. "Sorry Ceec."

"Don't call me that."

"Alrighty. So how do you do this…wizardry?" he asked, gesturing at her handiwork. Cece finished Jess' pinky finger, her tongue between her teeth as she inspected it for mistakes. She lifted Jess' hand to eye level.

"What do you mean? I just do it I guess. I started when I was really young and now I'm good at it."

"It's an art!" Schmidt declared dramatically. Cece smiled shyly, her eyes fixed on Jess' fingers.

"Is there anything you're not good at?" Jess asked, chin rested on her hand as she watched Cece work.

"Cheerleading?" Cece suggested, grinning back at her. "I'm really bad at cooking too. My Mom has been teaching me all her family recipes so that I can look after my husband when I get married, but so far all I've mastered is the art of _burnēda cāvala_."

"What does that mean?"

"Burned rice."

Jess and Schmidt laughed. "I'm not very good at Sudokus," Jess admitted. "I don't even really know what you're supposed to do."

Cece nodded sympathetically. "I know right?"

"I'm bad at skipping class. I pretend to be ill and then end up taking it way too far and throwing up or something," Schmidt sighed, inspecting Cece's cosmetics. "I've never managed to actually skip."

"Winston, we know you're bad at pranks, is there anything else?" Cece asked, swivelling round in her seat to face him. He looked up from his paper, shrugging lightly.

"Someone once told me I was terrible at puzzles, but I assure you, I am incredible." A slow, creepy smile swept over his face. He turned back round, mumbling what sounded like a strange song under his breath. Cece looked at Schmidt and Jess uneasily.

"Ok, that was weird."

Jess picked up a deep red lipstick from the table. "Is all this stuff expensive?" she asked, turning the little tube over in her hands. She never really wore make up.

"I told my friends at school it was, but I get most of it free with magazines." Cece replied, grinning. Jess grinned back. She looked down at the lipstick, reading the shade on the underside. _Cherry Tree_.

"Can I try this one on?" she asked, trying not to blush and betray her embarrassment as Schmidt and Cece watched her. Cece nodded kindly, retrieving a compact mirror and handing it to her. Jess uncapped the lipstick and swept it over her lips. When she was done she pulled back, admiring herself in the mirror.

_Wow_. She needed to wear lipstick more often. Maybe she could steal one of her Mom's. Joan wouldn't notice.

She checked the bottom of the lipstick again, taking a mental note of the name, but Cece's hand closed over her own. "Keep it."

Jess looked at her, eyes wide. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, I have like, a million others."

"Thanks. Wow, thanks Cece."

"How come she gets something?" Schmidt interrupted, frowning. Jess and Cece stared at him. He scoffed, leaning back, palms upturned in surrender. "Alright, alright, I get it. It's obviously a girl thing I'm not invited to."

It was approaching four, so Cece and Schmidt returned to their seats. While they waited for their invitation to leave, Winston folded his elaborate plan and stuffed it into his back pocket, pausing thoughtfully. He faced them, a curious look on his face. "Hey, guys, I've just had an idea. We should have a name."

"A name for what?" Cece asked, frowning.

"For us – the weirdos. We're our own clique, we deserve a name." he grinned widely at them. "Any ideas?"

"The misfits?" Schmidt offered.

Cece scrunched her face in disapproval. "I'm _not_ a misfit."

"What about The Breakfast Club?" Jess said quietly. "I saw the title on one of my Mom's DVDs. It kind of fits."

Everyone considered this. "Yeah," Winston said, nodding. "I like it. The Breakfast Club."

"I am officially in a non-academic club!" Schmidt announced, pleased with himself. "I'm about twenty percent cooler than I was this morning." Jess and Cece smirked at him, Winston rolling his eyes.

Shiller appeared, looking a lot more dishevelled than the perfect image they had all witnessed that morning. Jess felt like it had been an eternity since she was sat in this room, determined not to speak to anybody, afraid of who these people were. Now here she was, secret friends with the princess and the athlete, closer to Schmidt than she could have imagined, and she had actually _yelled_ at the school criminal. She was a changed woman.

Shiller glared silently at the class. "Get your asses out of my school. See you Monday."

"I'm sure we're all looking forward to it as much as you sir," Jess said before she could stop herself. Cece snorted behind her hand, her eyes fixed on the desk as everyone stood up, chair legs screeching on linoleum.

"What has gotten into you?" Schmidt asked as they shuffled out.

"I really don't know!" she replied, smiling brightly at him. He couldn't help but return it.

Remy was by the school entrance, tipping his head and greeting everyone with a small salute as they passed. Jess was last, and she smiled shyly at him as she approached the doors.

"Jessica Day," he said, nodding at her, eyes twinkling. "I hope your first detention wasn't too hard on you."

"I survived," she replied, swinging her rucksack further on to her back.

"I have a message for you."

Jess' eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Go to your locker."

"Is that it?"

Remy shrugged. "Like I said, nobody tells me anything."

He slouched away down the corridor, humming to himself. Jess watched him go sceptically. She wasn't sure it was such a good idea to follow his instructions.

After a few seconds of internal debate, Jess' curiosity got the better of her. She turned around and jogged to her locker, aware that her Mom would be getting more impatient by the minute. She would say she stayed behind to ask for extra work. That would do it.

She stopped short when she saw who was leaning against her locker, rolling a cigarette. Sighing, she advanced toward him, clutching the straps of her bag nervously.

"Hey," she said as she reached him. "You're in my way."

Miller looked at her briefly, looked away, and then looked again, this time at her lips. She suddenly remembered the lipstick, and felt stupid. She wiped it off with the heel of her palm, not wanting to look like it had been for his benefit. He moved away from the locker, giving her access.

Jess opened it, her eyes scanning the small space for anything different. Her gaze fell on a small piece of paper at the bottom. Picking it up, she read the scrawling cursive on it, her face scrunched up in confusion.

_Sorry Specs. You were right about my Dad._

She looked up at Miller, who was stood next to her, watching her expectantly. "Turn it over," he said. Wordlessly, she did. On the other side was a detailed sketch entitled _The Miller Locker Tap_.

"I thought you'd want to know how to do it. Y'know, since you thought it was cool." He ran his tongue over his lips nervously. "It works on all lockers. Don't ask me how I know that. Anyway, I know you won't use it for evil or anything. So you can have it."

Jess struggled to keep her face in neutral as she studied the sketch, vaguely listening to Miller's rambling. She didn't know what to think. She felt a little overwhelmed. "I thought you hated me?"

"I hate everyone." He shrugged, looking uncomfortable. He scratched the back of his neck. "Don't take it personally."

She couldn't stop a slow smile from starting to take over her face. "I don't know what to say."

He grinned back at her. "Good, 'cause I don't wanna know." He extended his hand to her. "So. We good four eyes?"

Jess looked down at his hand, and took it. They shook on it, eyes locked, faces relaxed in contentment over their new found truce. Jess let go and put the sketch in her pocket, still grinning.

"Well, see ya Monday I guess." Miller mumbled, running a hand through his hair and turning away, setting off in the opposite direction. Jess wondered where he lived, how he got home. She shook her head. He really was a mystery.

"I hope so," she replied, feeling a weight lift from her chest. She bounced happily back to the entrance and out to the car, where her Mom was impatiently drumming her fingers on the steering wheel.

"Where the _hell_ have you been, Jess?!" Joan cried as Jess piled herself into the front seat. Jess donned her best innocent expression as she turned to her Mom.

"I was just seeing if there was anything I could do to improve my work Mom," she replied easily, surprised at how well she could now lie to her own Mother. She inwardly sighed, making a promise to herself that she would make it up to her by bringing her breakfast in bed tomorrow morning.

Joan was exhaling exasperatedly, staring ahead. "Okay, I suppose that's a valid excuse. Just make sure you do your chores when we get back alright?"

Jess nodded obediently as her Mom started the car and pulled out, heading for the road. As they rolled along, Joan having what sounded like a very stressed out argument with her personal planner, Jess dug in her pocket and brought out the rumpled piece of paper again, admiring it.

The sketch showed that the technique consisted of two taps to the right, one punch, a tap to the left, a tap in the middle, a punch in the middle. She would try it on her locker on Monday. Her friends would be gobsmacked, not to mention appalled. She chuckled to herself, imagining their faces as she battered her locker.

She was looking forward to Monday already.


	6. Spilled Milk

**A thousand thank yous to Captain Crunk for his feedback. Disclaimer: 'ham planet' is his, I only wish I'd heard of it before I met him.**

Chapter Six – Spilled Milk

The air was thick with the warmth and hum of running engines as Jess pulled her bike up to the school racks, one foot still on the pedal as her wheels ticked lazily. She hopped off, pushing it into a space, shrugging one strap of her rucksack off her shoulder and unzipping it to search for her chain.

"Well, well. If it isn't the lawless felon of Shermer High."

Startled, Jess looked up to find her best friend stood a few metres away, pushing her sunglasses on to her forehead as she rested one hand on her hip. She was drowning in an oversized denim jacket, her black nail varnish exposed by her fingerless biker gloves. She radiated a _piss off_ vibe, but her smile was genuine as Jess laughed bashfully, locking her chain into place with a shrug. Jess knew Sadie inside out, and was fully aware that her fashion choices were all bark and no bite.

"Gosh Sadie, can you at least wait until I'm inside the _building_?"

"Nope," Sadie replied immediately. "You gonna fill me in?"

Jess sighed, hauling her rucksack back over her shoulders and stepping into pace by her friend as they advanced to the steps leading up to the school entrance. "What do you want to know?"

"What happened? Did you meet any shady characters? Did you get a bitch?"

"_Sadie!_"

"A tattoo then?"

Jess laughed, shaking her head. Then she shot a sideways glance at her best friend, eyes gleaming. This didn't go unnoticed. Sadie grabbed her arm as they reached her locker, spinning Jess to face her. "You did something."

Jess let a slow, smug smile creep over her features. Sadie shook her. "What? What did you do?!"

Jess dropped her voice to a whisper. "I got high."

"You _what_?!" A few heads turned their way as people passed them, Jess making a shushing gesture with her hands, giggling as both girls' eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "You had weed? Who… how?"

"Well, it's a long story, but…" Jess paused, considering her friend as she opened her locker and rummaged for her books, eyes fixed on Jess. "You know that Miller guy, the one who locked Paul in the bathroom stall that time in eighth grade, and the parents got called in and everything?"

"Why are you guys talking about me?"

Both girls jumped and turned to see Paul sidle up next to them, a scowl on his face. "What about that douchebag?"

Jess froze, staring at him. Now definitely wasn't the time to fill Sadie in on what had happened with Paul present. Jess straightened up. "Nothing. I was just talking about my detention."

"Oh yeah?" Paul asked, his face turning serious. "Was it okay?"

"It was better than okay!" Sadie piped up excitedly, "Jess said she smok-"

Jess elbowed Sadie in the ribs, hard, making her cry out. "Ow, _excuse_ me!"

"Walk me to my locker?" Jess asked her, staring pointedly. Sadie seemed to receive the message, nodding and hooking her elbow through Jess' as they hurried away, leaving a very confused and annoyed Paul in their wake, still standing by Sadie's open door. As they rounded the corner to Jess' locker Jess dipped her head towards Sadie.

"Paul can't know, it would only upset him."

"Why? Stop being so cryptic Jess!"

"Okay." They came to a halt outside Jess' door. "Miller gave me the weed. We're kind of…friends."

Sadie stared at her for a few seconds. "…Friends." Her eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, I think so."

"You're friends with that _jerk_? _Why?!_"

Jess sighed. "It was a weird day okay?" She realised that starting with the news about Miller probably wasn't the best course of action. Maybe telling Sadie about Cece or Schmidt might have been a better idea, to ease her into this new chunk of information. Blowing her bangs out of her eyes, she turned and started to tap and punch her locker, making Sadie draw back in alarm.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

The door sprang open and Jess laughed delightedly. "Oh my God, it worked!" She glanced happily at Sadie, who was clutching her bag to her chest, regarding her best friend with a look that could only be described as completely dumbfounded. "Miller taught me that too," Jess stated offhandedly. "You have to admit it's cool." Sadie dropped her bag with a huff.

"Who are you and what have you done to my best friend?" she asked, frowning suspiciously at her. Jess chuckled, pulling her books out and slamming her door shut. She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off as a lanky guy with an Iron Maiden hoodie slouched past.

"Hey Sades, you gonna let me see what's under that skirt this semester?" he asked playfully, grinning at her.

"Why don't you just ask your Mom?" she shot back. He shrugged, chuckling to himself as he walked away. Jess tilted her head as she watched him go.

"You know George isn't that bad. Paul told me he volunteers at the local charity shop." Jess said.

Sadie rolled her eyes. "He's a loser."

"You never give any guys a chance, you know that?" Jess laughed, shaking her head. Sadie shifted uncomfortably, casting her eyes downward.

"Whatever. Says the girl cuddling up to the school bully."

Jess twisted her face. "I'm not cuddling up to him. He's got issues… I kind of get it. I think I get him." She giggled at Sadie's obvious lack of convincing. "It doesn't matter anyway, it's over. We're back to the harsh reality of high school now."

Sadie watched her for a long time, lost in thought, before she sighed resignedly and put a hand on Jess' shoulder, sharing her small grin. "You're different somehow. It's gonna take a while to get used to, but I think I could grow to like it."

"Good." Jess remarked, feeling relieved. "Now I gotta get to class. Shiller has it out for me these days, I can't end up in his office."

They said their hurried goodbyes and Jess set off for English, trying to accomplish something between a skip and a canter, going at a speed that could still be classed as abiding to the school hallway procedures.

She arrived just in time, slipping into the class and taking her seat near the back by the window. The weak spring sun was filtering through the cloudy glass, and she could already tell she would end up staring out of it, lost in daydream, until she was undoubtedly berated by Mrs Hardy for zoning out of her lesson. She couldn't ever seem to stop herself in these situations - the way the particles of dust swirled lazily in the yellow beams cast across the windowsill was mesmerising to her. She was Jess Day, concentration wasn't her strong point.

Mrs Hardy smiled kindly at everyone, clapping her hands together lightly. "Okay class, new project. Before we resume the reading list I want you all to consider the way these stories have been told, how they capture our attention and why they remain relevant to our society."

Jess heard a yawn and looked across the room to see Cece covering her mouth, eyes watering as she attempted to plaster any expression other than boredom on her pretty face. Her baggy shirt was hung low, exposing a tan shoulder, and tucked into a pair of high waisted blue jeans. Jess glanced down at her dungarees, pursing her lips. Maybe she should have worn that lipstick.

"…So I want this project to really test your ability to write something worthwhile, that teaches us something about life, love, anything that is important to you that you can channel into a successful story."

Mrs Hardy glanced around the class. "I'd like you to keep a diary of everything that happens in your life, and spin it into a story worthy of my attention."

There was a collective groan from the boys at the very back of the room. Jess liked the idea, and she caught Schmidt's eye as he scanned the class behind him, the two sharing an excited smile at the prospect. As a natural storyteller and drama queen, she knew this would be Schmidt's forte.

Mrs Hardy raised a hand for silence. She was a small woman, but very pretty and with a voicebox as powerful as an army sergeant's. Her pleasant nature was in no way an invitation to misbehave, and everyone knew that. When she shouted, it was terrifying. The class fell silent. "I'm going to put you into pairs, and I want you to review each other's work as you go along. I'm going to read your names out now. No arguing about who you are put with, or you get me as a partner, and trust me you don't want to be spending valuable free time cooped up in here reading _my_ personal diary."

She reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper. Jess held her breath as she read names out, each pairing met with a groan or a bout of furious whispers as people sounded their disappointment. Jess knew that to everyone in this class bar one, being paired with Weirdo Day was just downright embarrassing. She crossed her fingers, praying for Schmidt.

"Cece Parekh," Mrs Hardy called out, making Cece lift her head from her forearms, chewing her gum. Jess wondered what it was like to be the one person in the room absolutely _everyone _wanted to be paired with. "You're with Jess Day."

Jess' eyes widened as Cece turned to look at her, shock registering on her face. There were a few hushed sniggers as Cece blushed, breaking eye contact as her perfectly preened girlfriend whispered something assumedly mean about her in her ear, hiding her smirk behind a cupped hand. Jess' shoulders slumped. _It could be worse_, she supposed. She was sure Cece was thinking the complete opposite.

When Mrs Hardy finished her list everyone shuffled to sit next to their partners, shooting longing glances at their friends as they slouched away. Cece flopped tiredly into the seat next to Jess, which had been empty the whole time. "Hey," she said lowly, her eyes averted to the desk.

"Um, hi." Jess greeted, nervously pushing her glasses further up her nose. Neither of them seemed to know what to say, so they sat silently as the class was fully briefed about the assignment. When the bell sounded it was a welcome relief, both girls springing out of their seats with awkward goodbyes. Jess flushed with embarrassment as Cece immediately found her friends and they quickly exited the room, forgetting her existence once again. She guessed that was the indication that they most certainly were _not_ about to go public with their friendship any time soon. She hoped the awkwardness would fade with time – they were partners after all, and she needed a good grade for this assignment.

As lunchtime came round Jess found a secluded table away from the centre of the room once again, her tray clattering on to the grimy surface as she sat down, orange juice slopping over the side of her cup and on to her hand. She sighed exasperatedly, raising it to her mouth and licking the sweet juice from her palm. There was no sign of Sadie, Paul or Rachel so she rummaged in her bag and withdrew her Gameboy, leaning back on two chair legs against the wall and powering it up. She had almost gotten her Squirtle to level 100 and was excited to seriously kick some ass in the Pokemon League.

She was halfway through a battle, her tongue sticking out as she battered the buttons, when Rachel and Sadie plopped into the seats either side of her. Sadie rolled her eyes, picking up her burger. "Let me guess, you're trying to beat every Pokemon in the league using only Bubble."

Jess glanced up at her for a second, registering her friends' presence. "It's the only non-violent move. I want Shelly to be brought up to understand that violence isn't always the answer." She slammed her thumb on to the A button furiously. "Goddamnit Ninetails, just _die_ already!"

"Yeah," Rachel laughed, bringing her juicebox straw to her lips. "You're _such_ a pacifist Jess."

"Hey, you seen the new guy yet? I hear he's from Latvia. Maybe he's one of those mysterious foreign guys who whispers dirty stuff in another language in your ear and you don't understand it but it sounds really sexy."

Jess gave Sadie a funny look. "I don't think Latvian is a very sexy language. Besides we all know you're not actually interested in any of the boys here."

Sadie glared at her. "Maybe it's because they're all boring and none of them are Latvian," she suggested coldly. Jess sighed and went back to her game.

"Well you better move there then, because Winston is from America. He just lived there a while."

Paul appeared, panting, as he dropped his tray on the table and slid into a seat. "Sorry guys, got caught up in my violin lesson. What'd I miss?"

"Jess is adamant her Pokémon are pacifists and Sadie thinks Latvian is sexy." Rachel said simply, filling him in. Paul wrinkled his nose at the three of them. After two years of being their friend he knew better than to ask further questions. He and Rachel had joined Sadie and Jess when she had met them at a bake sale to raise money for the arts section of their school. Jess had warmed to them immediately and wanted to be able to say she had more than one friend, ever. The rest was history, but the pair had never been able to worm their way completely into the bond of friendship Jess and Sadie had, and remained cautious and a little afraid of the latter girl. Sadie seemed to like this power, enjoying thinking she was tougher than she actually was.

The group was distracted by a loud crash, hushing the room. Jess looked up to see Schmidt, bright red, standing over a mess of food on the floor. She spotted Winston nearby, scratching his forehead and watching the scene as one of the basketball jocks jeered at Schmidt.

"Portion size too heavy for you to carry there, ham planet?"

Jess felt the back of her throat burn as she watched Schmidt blink a few times, taking in the sight of pasta and sauce mixing with his spilled milk. Her body started to feel hot as her front chair legs hit the floor. She was going to say something, she could feel it bubbling up like bile in the back of her throat. Sadie looked at her, begging her with her eyes to remain silent.

Then she saw something out of the corner of her eye, a flash of red behind the jock, and Miller appeared, looking incredibly indifferent as he bumped into his shoulder and his own milk tumbled over and splashed down the front of the douchebag's letterman jacket.

"Whoops," Miller stated as the jock looked down at himself, horrified, "don't stand in the way next time dumbass."

The guy's shock turned to fury as he wiped down his jacket, rounding on Miller. "What the fuck man?"

Miller shrugged. "Karma is a bitch I guess."

"_MILLER!_" Shiller yelled, his voice pitching as he appeared out of nowhere, marching over to the two boys. "You can't even give me ONE day off?!"

Miller raised his eyebrows, gesturing at the scene next to him. "Sir, this was clearly an accident. I would never waste good milk in this manner. Mr…" Miller looked his adversary up and down, deciding a suitable name, "…Beefcake Meathead here obviously shouldn't have been blocking the route from the lunch line to the dining tables."

Jess pressed her lips together, holding in her giggles, Sadie giving her another look. The jock was spluttering ferociously, anger clearly evident in his eyes. He had already decided he was going to kick Miller's ass later. A wave of concern washed over Jess and she bit her lip, hoping he knew what he was doing.

Winston stepped forward. "Come on man, he's not worth detention. We'll get him after school."

Shiller sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Alright gentlemen, no detentions if you agree to walk away from this now. Otherwise, you can high tail it to my office, where we can talk this through _thoroughly_."

After a few tense seconds the jock angrily threw his jacket off, turning away and rejoining his teammates, who were all sending death looks Miller's way. Jess wondered if they were afraid of him. Before she had met him, it was common knowledge that he carried a knife around school in case anyone jumped him. She hoped the jocks would believe it enough to let this one pass.

Miller watched him go, nodding. "I would dry clean that ASAP, it's gonna smell real bad later," he called after him, earning him a severe glare from Shiller. He leaned forward, thrusting a finger in Miller's face.

"You're walking a fine line Miller, a _fine line_."

With that he turned around and brushed past Schmidt, who was doing his best to blend, unsuccessfully, into the background. "And someone clean this up!" he shouted as he swept past and left the room. There were a few seconds of silence before the usual chatter of the lunch room started to creep back up, becoming deafening again. As her friends eagerly discussed what had just happened, Jess craned her neck to see Miller and Schmidt share brief eye contact before Miller turned and walked away, finding his burnout friends in the darkest corner of the room. Schmidt returned to the lunch line, looking a little forlorn as he asked for seconds.

Jess wished her Squirtle was real. She would have Bubbled that jock right into next week. See what he had to say about Schmidt _then_, asshole.


	7. Keeping Secrets

**Thank you to Captain Crunk once again. The next chapter is written, so I really will try to update faster :D Happy Halloween everyone! Anyone going as something really cool this year? I am dressing up as The Girl Who Dies First, I have the oversized jersey nightie and the slippers and teddy bear. I will be every axe-murderer's dream!**

Chapter Seven – Keeping Secrets

It had been a week and a half since the detention when Jess received her first note from Miller. She had opened her locker and it had been there, slightly scrunched up and dog eared, a cartoon drawing of Shiller being fed to crocodiles. She had known immediately that it was from him, and it made her heart swell to think that he hadn't forgotten about her. There was nothing Jess liked more than making new friends, even if they were in secret. Being in the Breakfast Club was amazing, but Jess knew she wouldn't have felt completely satisfied if she had left that day without shaking Miller's hand.

So she had quickly ripped out a blank page of her notebook, smoothed it out against the wall and drawn a series of short, horizontal lines spaced with a slash. Hangman. She had written _(FILM)_ at the top of the paper and folded it up neatly, stopping at his locker on the way to her history class.

She breathed a nervous whoosh of air out through her nose, facing his battered door. "Here goes," she muttered, lifting her knuckles to eye level and carrying out the routine she now knew by heart.

The door opened easily, used to years of Miller's unruly fists. Before anyone could become suspicious, she tossed the paper inside and slammed the door shut, hurriedly darting away to class, a pleased smile on her face.

From then onwards, it had become their thing. Almost every other day they would swap notes, playing silly games and drawing goofy pictures for each other. She really didn't understand why he wanted to continue to communicate with her, but it didn't matter. _She _was swapping notes with _Miller_. She felt incredibly cool.

Miller wasn't the only one communicating with Jess via pen and paper. Since becoming English partners the awkwardness between her and Cece had almost completely dissipated, as Cece had seemed to realise that the diaries they both had to write were the perfect way to speak to each other without ever having to utter a word. They would sit silently, reading each other's entries, getting to know each other inside out. Jess, unable to stop herself, had poured her heart out on to the pages, grateful for a release. Cece would sit, transfixed at her words, Jess watching nervously as her eyebrows furrowed in sympathy and raised in surprise, a small smile sometimes present on her pretty features.

Jess had become just as invested in Cece's life since their project had started, although she noticed that Cece was a lot more withdrawn and shielded with her emotions in each entry. She talked about her glamorous school life, pool parties with Winston and his jock friends and drinking with the cheerleaders. These parts would make Jess' chest ache with envy over the fact that Cece could be open about her friendship with Winston – she wanted to be able to laugh at Miller's brilliant sense of humor without having to hide her face behind her hand, and sit and discuss her problems with Cece without this barrier of silence between them and the eyes of the mean girls constantly trained on the backs of their heads.

More recently, Cece had begun to write about her home life, opening up to Jess in a way she hadn't before. Her Mom was a strict Indian woman, determined to marry her daughter to a man that would undoubtedly be at least ten years older than her when the day came. Her father had been against this, wanting Cece to make her own way in life, earning her own income and securing a future that rested on her own shoulders. When he had died, his authority had died with him. Cece was having an arranged marriage, and that was the end of it.

Sometimes they would glance sideways while reading, their eyes meeting in a look of mutual empathy. Cece didn't want to talk, that much was clear. But she wanted someone to listen, and she had finally found that person.

"Earth to Jessica, is anyone there?"

Jess blinked a few times, looking up from her copy of Moby Dick. "What? I was reading."

Paul tilted his head towards her sceptically. "You've been on that page for the last ten minutes. You usually inhale a book with your eyes as soon as you get it."

Jess shifted, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Sorry Paul, I didn't mean to ignore you."

"It's fine," he replied, shrugging. "You're a daydreamer anyway, I'm used to you zoning out when I talk."

Jess chuckled, placing a half-eaten liquorice straw between the pages and closing the book. The pair were sat on the wall outside Sadie's house, waiting for her to emerge. It was a rare occasion when all three of them had a free period at the same time. Rachel was stuck in double Math, leaving the trio to hit the local bowling alley to be undoubtedly thrashed by Sadie, whose Dad had been the school bowling champion when he was only a few years their senior.

Sadie finally appeared after fifteen minutes looking for her bowling shoes, bought for her by her father. "Sorry, sorry! I hid them up the fireplace shaft so the dog wouldn't chew them and forgot."

Jess and Paul shared a look. "I still don't see why you get this unfair advantage," Paul moaned, folding his arms. "As if your genes aren't already enough."

"Silence, mere mortal," Sadie said, raising her hand to his face as she approached them. "Even if I didn't have these shoes I would still beat you by an embarrassing amount. I just don't want to put my feet into a festering container of sweaty bacteria."

Jess wrinkled her nose. "If you want to do this you're gonna have to tone down the disgusting put-offs Sadie," she stated. Sadie nodded apologetically, shooting her a finger-gun.

"Gotcha."

They arrived at the bowling alley near the school, Paul making a cringe-worthy scene at the front desk about the state of his rental shoes. When they finally settled down at their lane Sadie requested the gutters be left intact, much to Jess' chagrin. After landing her ball in the left gutter for the third time, she decided she needed a slushie before she could continue to take part in this humiliation.

"I'll take a blue raspberry," Paul requested, smiling at her as he picked up his ball. Jess gave him a quick salute, looking at Sadie expectantly.

"Sades, any preference?"

"I'll have a coke and some strawberry laces."

Jess approached the snack bar, picking up some of the deep red laces and a packet of dipdab sherbert to mix with her strawberry slushie. "Hey," came a voice from beneath the counter. "Just a sec."

Jess rested her elbows on the table, leaning over the counter to see what he was doing just as he straightened up. Their heads collided and Jess drew back with a squeak of pain, clutching her forehead. "Oww!"

"Ouch, oh man, I'm so – Jess?"

Jess looked up through her lopsided glasses, her vision a little blurry from unshed tears. "Winston?"

Winston stood awkwardly behind the counter, a stupid pinstriped hat on his head. Jess couldn't help but laugh. "You work here?" She nursed her head, watching him shift uncomfortably.

He nodded, embarrassed. "I'm supposed to have a day off school every week for sports," he shrugged. "But my Mom doesn't think that's very appropriate so she made me extend this weekend job to Tuesdays too."

Jess nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry…about that hat."

Winston laughed, wiping the counter down with his cloth. "Me too. What can I get you?"

"A blue raspberry and a strawberry slushie, and a coke please, don't hold back on the sugar."

"Girl, this is a bowling alley, it's like Vegas but with sugar instead of fruit machines," he stated, bustling about with paper cups as he tended to her order.

Jess bit her lip, wringing her hands nervously. She was a little intimidated by Winston – he was the person she was least comfortable around. They had barely spoken and although every member of their club had something in common with each other, Jess wasn't sure in different circumstances that she and Winston would have been friends at all. She had a feeling she would have annoyed him immensely. His politeness and willingness to chat to her right now was a pleasant surprise, and she felt herself heat up as she struggled for something to say that wouldn't betray how awkward the situation was to her. She settled on the one thing they shared.

"So, have you talked to…anyone?" she asked quietly, watching coke gush into the cup. Winston paused for a second, knowing who she meant.

"Yeah, I mean, I've hung out with Cece a couple of times. You know, parties and stuff."

"Sounds like you have it pretty good," Jess replied, a hint of melancholy seeping into her voice. She should have known that Winston wouldn't have attempted to communicate with anyone but the person he wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen with. Winston sighed as he placed her three drinks in front of her, reaching for straws.

"Well, I can say I've spoken to you now, right?" he smiled at her, and she was suddenly grateful to have caught him at such an opportune time, away from school and friends and general complications. They may not have been the best of friends, but Winston was a good kid. Jess was glad she had met him.

Jess smiled back. "Two down, two to go I guess?"

Winston laughed, betraying how happy he was to have seen her. "You're a cool girl Jess. Sometimes it's nice to talk to someone who isn't constantly ranting about four-point stances and backcourt violations. I love me some sports, but you can only take so much."

Jess grinned. "Happy to be of service, sir," she said, raising her hand in another salute. She inwardly cringed, but he didn't seem to mind. He was dressed like an oompa loompa after all – maybe he wasn't as cool as she had originally thought. _One more friend to add to the list. Gosh, when did you become so freaking popular Jessica?!_

Winston slid her drinks across the counter. "Five bucks please. Come back anytime."

Jess paid and said her goodbyes, tottering back to her seat with drinks and candy placed precariously between her elbows and fingers. Paul jumped up to help her as she returned, Sadie knocking down her umpteenth strike and cheering to herself as they dumped everything on the table. "What took you so long?" Sadie asked as she joined them, lifting her coke to her mouth.

Jess froze for a second, unsure of what to say. "I…was talking to, uh, the guy."

Paul and Sadie stared at her expectantly. "Yeah…I was just saying hi…to Winston."

Sadie's eyes went wide. "Seriously? The new guy?"

"Yeah, he works here. I actually met him in that detention."

Paul scrunched up his face in irritation. Sadie let out a miniature squeal, one hand grasping Jess' shoulder. "Jess, this could be like, a _Pretty in Pink_ situation. You could be the sad, lonely-"

"-Um, rude-"

"-girl and he could be the rich, cool guy to sweep you off your feet and take you to the dance. Well," Sadie pulled her lips to the side of her face, thinking, "I guess that's not really what happens. I mean, he kind of screws her over in the end, but-"

"Sadie."

Sadie stopped, looking at Jess with bright, hopeful eyes. Jess blew her bangs out of her eyes, annoyed. "I literally just said hi to him. Stop before you start planning our wedding."

Paul stepped in. "Actually, speaking of the dance…"

Jess' gaze snapped towards him in panic. "I'mgoingtothedancewithSchmidt." The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could form them into a proper sentence. She hadn't actually said yes to Schmidt, but now was as good a time as any to make her decision. She cleared her throat, looking at her friends. "Schmidt asked me to the dance. I'm going with him."

Paul looked pretty crestfallen at her outburst and Jess felt her stomach tighten with guilt. She felt awful, but had at least got it out in the open before Paul had actually asked her outright. Sadie threw her hands up in the air. "Well who the hell is Schmidt?"

"I got to know him better in detention."

"Jesus! How many other people were in this freaking detention?!"

"Cece Parekh was there too."

Sadie's mouth dropped open. "What? You talked to _Cece_?" She waved a hand in front of her face, stepping back. "This is too much information at once, you're overloading me with information Jess, I'm gonna blow."

Jess laughed. "That's it, I swear. It's not a big deal." That was a lie. Jess thought it was a _huge_ deal, but she was cool now, she had to start acting like it.

"_Not a_ – okay." Sadie sighed, sitting down on the plush couch in their lane. "You're punching lockers, you're talking to the princess, you're friends with _Miller_, I mean what is going on?" Jess was glaring pointedly at her, and she covered her mouth suddenly, realising what she had just said. "Shit."

Jess looked quickly at Paul, who was staring at her, hurt and shock written all over his face. "You're friends with Miller?"

Jess raised her palms to him, shaking her head rapidly. "Paul, look, I didn't mean for it to happen but he's actually not that bad," she said hastily, dropping her hands as Paul quickly averted his gaze to the floor and brushed past her, heading for the exit. "Where are you going?"

Sadie stood up. "Dude, we haven't finished the game!"

"I can't…I have to go," he called over his shoulder. "I have some…stuff…to do. Just ask someone else to play. Hey, why don't you ask Miller?" Paul said with fake cheer, his voice pitching a little as he turned and left. Sadie and Jess looked at each other, surprised. Jess considered calling out for him again, but knew it would be no use. Her stomach dropped into her bowling shoes.

"I don't have his number." Jess mumbled, folding her arms protectively over herself. It seemed she had quite a problem on her hands. She couldn't be friends with Miller without upsetting Paul, but she couldn't abandon the start of a promising friendship with Miller. She didn't know what to do. Why was everything suddenly so _complicated_?

Sadie puffed out her cheeks, eyebrows raised. "Sorry Jess, I forgot he didn't know."

Jess nodded sadly, watching the entrance doors swing shut behind Paul. "He never does anything like this with me. I feel horrible," she said quietly. Sadie put both her hands on her shoulders, applying pressure.

"He knows you don't feel the same way as him Jess. Just let him come to terms with it," Sadie said sympathetically. "Everything will work out. As long as you know what you're doing with this Miller guy."

Jess sighed, letting Sadie collect their things and lead her out of the bowling alley, arms around each other's shoulders. She really had no idea what she and Miller were doing. Jess paused momentarily at the doorway, turning her head to face the snack bar. Winston was looking their way, still wearing his stupid hat. He raised his hand in a goodbye gesture, smiling. Jess felt the pressure lift from her chest just a little, returning the wave before they stepped out into the sunlight.

* * *

They arrived back at school with plenty of time before next period so Jess decided to head to the library to get a head start on her homework. She was walking from her locker, her head buried in her folder when she collided with something firm, letting out a surprised "Oof!" and just barely managing to hold on to her things as she attempted to right herself. It was _not_ her lucky day.

She heard sniggers and glanced up to find that she had walked straight into Miller, his friends looking delighted at the prospect of a conflict. Wow, the two of them were really making a habit of bumping into things.

Jess hadn't actually laid eyes on Miller since that day in the cafeteria. She guessed it was because he was always skipping class and they didn't take any of the same subjects, so she never saw him wandering the hallways. He was just Mystery Miller, flitting about leaving her notes without her ever seeing his face, until now.

For a couple of tense seconds, Miller looked like he didn't know what to do. His friends were waiting for him to say something, and Jess held her breath.

"Watch where you're going next time," he eventually snapped. "Damn nutcase."

Jess stared at him for a few seconds, eyes wide. Then, out of nowhere, she felt a huge desire to laugh out loud. She had been expecting to feel a flash of fear, but she got nothing. Miller really just did not scare her any more.

"_You_ watch where _you're_ going!" she replied loudly, making all three boys in front of her freeze in disbelief. A few people glanced their way as they passed, distracted by her yell. She pulled her folder tighter to her chest, bumping her shoulder into Miller's arm as she passed him, leaving the guys to stand there, stunned into silence.

Jess felt a rush of adrenaline course through her as she walked away, quickly turning to guilt. She hoped this didn't affect their friendship – after all, she had shown him up in front of his friends. She slowed down a fraction, biting her lip, before looking back over her shoulder.

Miller's friends had begun to saunter away, but he was still in the same place, his body twisted round to face her retreating back. Jess felt her stomach do a somersault. He was looking at her, a barely noticeable, shocked grin on his face as their eyes met. He gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head, amazed.

Jess felt her own face break out into a smug smile before she hoisted her folder up and faced forward, setting off down the hallway again. Her heart was beating wildly, her cheeks flushed. She was starting to worry that she was getting a bit out of control. Time to sit down in the library, do some work and calm down.

She gripped her folder with trembling hands, unable to shake the feeling that this semester was going to be very, very different to the others.


	8. Under The Bleachers

**Thank you to Ztofan for helping me out with this chapter! She and Captain Crunk are da bomb. Hope you enjoy this one :D**

Chapter Eight - Under the Bleachers

Jess pushed her Lucky Charms around her bowl half-heartedly as her Mom bustled around the kitchen. She shoveled a large spoonful into her mouth and rested her head on her hand, sighing through her nose as she chewed the soggy, sugary mess. Joan turned and rested against the kitchen counter, nursing a mug of coffee as she stared at her daughter.

"Okay Jess, I know that look. What's up?" Joan asked, tilting her head. Jess sighed, swallowing and pushing her chair back. She stood and carried her bowl to the sink, emptying the rest of the contents down the drain.

"Me and Paul had a sort-of-falling-out, it's nothing," Jess replied, licking milk from her thumb. She looked up at her Mom, whose face was twisted in concern. Jess was going to leave it at that, but the apt attention she was receiving from her normally otherwise occupied mother made her pause, hands on either side of the sink, and continue. "I've made these new friends and I think maybe he's jealous."

Her Mom raised her eyebrows, bringing the mug to her mouth. "New friends?" she said, her voice muffled behind the rim.

Jess nodded. "Yeah, they're really cool and nice and I like them a lot, especially one of them. But he and Paul don't get along. I don't know what to do Mom, I can't lose either of them."

Joan took a thoughtful sip of her drink as Jess retreated to the kitchen table, picking up her backpack from the back of the chair and wriggling into the straps. "I think it's great that you've made new friends, honey." Joan stated, placing her mug down and picking up her keys. "But just remember everything Paul has done for you. I hope this other guy would do the same."

Jess chewed her lip, saying nothing as she followed her Mom out of the door. She unlocked her bike from the front porch and slung a leg over, waving as her Mom got into her car and pulled out of the driveway, sticking her hand out of the open window for a fraction of a second. Jess smiled slightly as she drove away, then put her foot on the pedal and pushed off, trying to think of anything but her current problem as she cycled to school.

Rachel met her at the school gates, an annoyed expression on her face. "Paul told me what happened," she said curtly as Jess hopped off her bike. She fell into step beside her, staring at her. "Is it true? You're hanging out with that _bully_?"

Jess felt her stomach clench. She hadn't had a single falling out with any of her friends until now, and the look Rachel was giving her made her feel sick. Out of the four of them, Rachel was the least likely to start an argument. Yet, here she was, asking for one.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Rach."

"How about 'sorry, I won't see him anymore?'"

"We don't even see each other anyway!" Jess cried, fighting the lump in the back of her throat. "It was just one detention!"

Rachel narrowed her eyes. "Really? You're not hanging out?"

"No." Jess replied confidently, pushing her bike into the racks. "He doesn't want to be seen with me." She snapped her lock into place with slightly more force than was necessary. "You're all right about him, okay? He obviously would have asked me to hang out if I meant that much to him. I won't speak to him anymore, I deserve friends who care about me and treat me like an equal."

Rachel watched Jess curiously, her irritation starting to deflate. "Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't want to fight." She cast her eyes downward shyly. "Sorry Jess," she said again.

Jess offered her a weak smile. "It's alright, I'm sorry too. Come here."

She pulled her friend into a quick hug, before saying her goodbyes and dashing up the steps to the school entrance. She wanted Rachel to think she was in a rush, but in reality she just needed some time to herself to think.

What her Mom had said struck a chord with Jess. She couldn't ever imagine Miller or any of the Breakfast Club doing what Paul or Sadie would do for her. Cece and Winston had at least made it clear that they were only friends a couple of days a year, and Schmidt was happy to be seen with her, but Miller was _so_ confusing. She didn't know what he wanted from her. Were they going to be pen pals for the rest of their school days, avoiding each other in the hallways and never speaking? That didn't sound like a friendship to her.

By the time Jess reached her locker, a dark cloud had settled over her mood. Paul had every right to hate Miller. He had locked him in a freaking _toilet_, for crying out loud. Who could blame him? And here she was, trying to convince Paul that he was a good guy, worthy of her time. No wonder Paul was avoiding her.

She opened the door with a sigh that was abruptly cut short when her eyes fell on the object in the bottom. She drew in a quick breath, reaching out to pick it up. Resting on her dog-eared copy of _Midnight at the Middle School _was a small square item wrapped in a piece of paper. Jess unfolded the paper to reveal a slightly scratched up _Pokemon Yellow_ game for Gameboy. Her face broke out into an excited grin as she looked around for any sign of her gift-giver. She couldn't see him, so she turned the paper over in her hands, reading the note on the back.

_Hey four eyes, hope you don't already have this. Seems like you need Yellow to complete the set so… go catch 'em all, I guess. Meet me for lunch by the football bleachers? M._

Jess clutched the note to her chest, her heart skipping a beat. It was like he could read her mind.

"What's that?"

Jess jumped, throwing the note and game back into her locker with a loud clang. Sadie cocked an eyebrow at her. "Nothing, uh, homework."

"Making that noise?"

"That was a mix tape. It's homework…for music."

Sadie nodded slowly. "I heard Rachel was planning on kicking your ass."

Jess turned to her, eyes wide. "I can't believe she met me at the gates to confront me!"

"I know right?!" Sadie replied with a giggle. "Your rebellious side is starting to get to everybody Jessica."

Jess shook her head, smiling. "No rebellious side, I swear. That was just a phase and I'm over it. No more confrontation, no more punching lockers."

Sadie looked shocked. "For real? I thought-"

"No." Jess interrupted. "I like Miller, I really do. But I'm still me." They grinned at each other, Sadie shrugging offhandedly.

"I kinda liked nonconformist Jess. She was pretty awesome."

Jess chuckled. "Maybe she can make the odd appearance."

With a nod and a quick squeeze of her shoulder, Sadie disappeared down the hallway to class. Jess watched her go for a few seconds before she visibly relaxed, letting out a breath as she pulled her gift out again, admiring it. It was obviously second hand, possibly stolen, but the thought that had gone into it made it one of the best gifts she had received. A crease formed between her eyebrows as she realized meeting Miller for lunch was a direct breach of her promise to Rachel. Either way, her actions would have consequences – she doubted Miller would take being stood up lightly.

She placed it carefully back, biting her lip nervously as she considered the best course of action. She really shouldn't go. He was bad news, or so she had been repeatedly told. But something about this particular gesture made her curious, doubtful and most of all, craving more.

So she found herself making excuses and heading out into the warm sunshine at midday, frantically checking the bleachers as she approached them. The jocks were on the field, messing around with a football and trying to dropkick it through the yellow goalposts and score a field goal. Jess found herself admiring one of the quarterbacks as he passed the ball, looking good in his white t-shirt. She felt a hot flush creep suddenly up on her and pushed it down, recognising it as another wave of hormones that occasionally struck when she was least expecting. There was no harm in checking him out – just because she was a virgin didn't mean she didn't think about that kind of stuff. In fact, she probably thought about it more than she would like to admit.

As he was walking backwards, calling out to his teammates and pointing to his left, he turned and spotted Jess staring at him. Embarrassed to be caught in the act she quickly shuffled away, hoping he was too far away to know who she was.

"Hey."

Jess froze, looking around for the source of the voice she had just heard. A laugh sounded from under her feet, and she crouched down, squinting under the seats. Miller waved at her from the shadows. "Why are you under the bleachers?" Jess asked, frowning.

"This is my place," he replied, shrugging. He patted the spot next to him. "Come on, I got you a burrito."

Jess climbed down, sliding underneath the seat and lowering herself into the space below. It was a tight fit and she found herself slipping into Miller's outstretched arms as she fell the last yard. He caught her, setting her on her feet on the grass. The previous wave of twirliness obviously hadn't completely disappeared as she felt a burning sensation in the pit of her stomach, making her palms turn clammy. Damn, Miller was strong. _Oh my God Jess, get it together you nut_.

She brushed herself off, blushing and trying to control her erratic heartbeat. "Thanks. How do you fit under there?"

"I just go the easy way," he replied, amused, as he pointed to the edge of the grass where a person sized hole was very visible amongst the metal structure. "That's how Remy gets in here to clean the trash people leave after big games."

Jess nodded and laughed, smoothing down her bangs. "Makes sense."

They smiled at each other for a few seconds before awkwardness started to set in. Jess didn't know how to act around him, and it seemed the feeling was mutual. "So…" Jess started, tilting her head to the side as Miller ran a hand through his messy hair.

"So." He echoed.

"I'm sorry about yesterday," she said quickly, looking away.

"Don't be," he murmured softly, moving to sit down and motioning for her to join him. "I liked it. You have balls."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Jess laughed as she settled on the cool grass, taking a wrapped burrito from him and ripping it open. Non-stop worrying from the moment she had woken up this morning left her with quite an appetite.

They ate in silence, watching the football guys through the gaps between rows. Sunlight streamed in, casting a glowing striped pattern across their bodies. Jess glanced over at Miller as they chewed, admiring the way the light hit his eyes, turning pools of dark brown into a golden hazel color. They crinkled as he noticed her gaze and smiled at her, swallowing. "Take a picture, it'll last longer."

Jess snapped her eyes forward again, feeling defensive. "Whatever."

He chuckled, finishing up and wiping his hands on the grass. "I guessed your hangman by the way. There is a film called _Clueless_, right?"

Jess nodded enthusiastically. "It's such a great film! Alicia Silverstone plays this popular girl with a heart of gold and she falls in love with her super smart ex-stepbrother and…" she trailed off when she saw the look of disgust on his face. "…Probably not your thing though."

"I'll pass," he said, shooting her the ghost of a smile. "How was your burrito?"

Jess gave him a thumbs up, instantly regretting how goofy she looked. Miller didn't seem to notice as he picked at the grass by his feet. "Any particular reason why you asked me to have lunch with you?" she asked, passing her hand through the beams of sunlight and trying to catch them. Miller squinted at her.

"No reason. I like you."

"Not enough to be seen with me though."

Miller stared at her as she shifted uncomfortably, avoiding his gaze. She hadn't expected it to come out like that, but she was glad she had brought it up. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind with him.

"Fine," Miller eventually said, starting to push himself on to his feet. "Where do you wanna go? Your choice. You wanna go introduce me to your pals?" He looked at her pointedly, scowling.

Jess' hand shot out and she pushed him back down again. "Okay mister, you've made your point. My friends don't know I'm here either." Miller looked satisfied as he settled on the grass again, stretching his legs out in front of him. "You locked one of them in the toilet a while back so he doesn't want me to see you. None of my friends exactly like the idea."

Shock was evident on Miller's face as he took in what she said. "I did? That seems pretty harsh." He took out his tobacco and started to roll a cigarette. "Is your friend a pussy?" he asked, rolling the paper between his fingers. Jess reached out and punched him in the arm, making him cry out and laugh at her. "What? I was only asking."

Jess huffed, crossing her arms. "That's no reason to bully someone, you know. Just 'cause they're weaker than you."

"Sorry, four eyes. Didn't mean to offend you and your precious _morals_."

They stared each other down, Miller placing the roll-up in his mouth and taking out his lighter. Jess was the first to give in, looking away just in time to see the quarterback she had been admiring score, the sounds of their cheers barely reaching their position.

A few peaceful seconds of comfortable silence passed. "What do you want to do when you're older?" Jess asked, keeping her eyes on the game. She sensed Miller tense next to her. "I wanted to be a vet, but I'm not very good at biology. I think I might like teaching."

She heard the sound of the lighter being sparked up and smelled nicotine and dirt as Miller smoked. Patiently, Jess waited for him to come up with an answer for her.

"Why are you asking me this?" he eventually muttered, as she met his eyes. "You know I'm not headed anywhere."

His words staggered her. She had never met anyone who was so certain of their incredibly low self-worth, and it made her angry and upset. "I've never…" she stopped when she remembered what she had said to him in that closet. _Unlike you, I'm leaving here with a future_. She was as much to blame as anyone else for shitting all over the guy in front of her.

Jess leaned forward, her face serious. "As far as me and you are concerned, I think we should wipe the slate clean." She smiled at him, and he frowned unsurely. "All that crap I told you, Shiller told you, your Dad probably told you… forget all of it. Do what _you_ want to do, Miller."

He continued to watch her expression, his brow furrowed, the cigarette forgotten and burned up between his fingers. He dropped it on the grass. "I want to go to college. Actually, I…" he broke off, casting his eyes upwards as if looking for inspiration to continue. "…I always wanted to go to law school."

Jess sat back, surprised. Miller scoffed at her. "Go on, laugh it up," he muttered. Jess shook her head.

"Law school? That sounds amazing!" she beamed at him and he raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "You're so good at arguing. You'd make a wonderful lawyer. What are you interested in?"

It took Miller a few seconds to come to terms with the fact that Jess was obviously interested in his aspirations, and wasn't rolling around the floor in hysterics at the idea that he even had a future in mind. "I like Public Interest Law." When Jess appeared blank he explained further. "It specializes in helping members of the public who might otherwise not be able to afford a lawyer. There's a lot of work with charities and education." He shrugged, embarrassed. "I don't want to con people like my Dad. I like the idea of standing up for someone who needs it."

"And yet you pick on people smaller than you every day," Jess stated matter-of-factly, making him wince.

"Maybe I want to make up for lost time."

They shared a smile, before Jess sat forward on her knees, reaching for him. He drew back instinctively but relaxed as she plucked a few loose tendrils of hair from his forehead. "First things first," Jess announced firmly as she tucked strands behind his ears and pushed his hair back on top of his head, "you have to look the part." She ignored the tickle of his breath on the soft underside of her forearms.

Miller sniggered, watching her work, her face the picture of concentration. "You mean I have to look intelligent."

"Same thing," Jess replied casually. She removed her thick frames and turned them around, placing them on his face and pushing them up his nose. "There," she said, leaning back and taking him in. "Now you look like you belong on _Law and Order_."

Miller grimaced at her. "I feel like a complete assbag."

"But you _look_ like a hottie," Jess corrected him, a smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. "A hottie with a law degree."

Miller smirked back, his eyes glinting behind her glasses. "Stop it."

Jess giggled, resting her chin in her hand. "This is nice. We should do this again."

"We should," he replied, taking the frames off and reaching out to slide them back on to her face. She smiled shyly as his fingers brushed her hair behind her ears, making sure the glasses were on correctly. Something jolted in her lower abdomen and she felt a pang of annoyance at herself and her stupid body. Jesus, a little touchy feely and she was as hot and bothered as Sadie in a thrift shop. "I don't mind being seen with you," Miller added, his eyes locking with hers.

"You sure?" Jess asked nervously, bringing her hands to her face to adjust the frames the way she liked them. "Cause if it wasn't for that detention we wouldn't even know each other. You're so busy smoking weed and being bad that you never would have noticed me, and a part of me thinks you would have preferred it that way."

Miller shook his head and chuckled. "You are one clueless chick, four eyes. One thing is for sure - I would've noticed you."

Jess felt her stomach do another flip as he stood and offered her his hand. She took it, hoisting herself up, still trying to figure out what he meant by that last sentence. She suddenly noticed their position and felt self-conscious standing in the shadows with him. "Hey, it might look a little bit like we…y'know," Jess mumbled, gesturing between the two of them and the exit, flustered.

Miller laughed, nodding. "I get it, you go first. See you around Jess." He grinned at her and held out his hand for her to shake.

She grasped it and held his gaze, drawn to those goddamn eyes again. "See you, Miller."


	9. Hiding

**Hello roomfriends! I've tried to write this chapter and the next before publishing because I know how anticipated the Ness storyline of this story is, and since there isn't a great deal of interaction between the two in this chapter I didn't want to wait too long before posting the next. So fear not, Miller will have his time to shine in the next chapter :) Huge thanks to my TWO (yes, I have two now, I'm important) betas, Ztofan and Captain Crunk, for providing stellar feedback and fixing my Britishisms, and just generally being great conversation.**

**I just want to add that now I'm getting additional feedback I will be going back and editing previous chapters, and I'll shut up now, thank you for your time, please come again.**

Chapter Nine – Hiding

"Paul! _Paul!_ Dammit, I know you can hear me!"

Jess slowed down, catching her breath as she watched Paul disappear round the corner to class. If she wasn't careful she would be late to her own class, but she was so worried about salvaging his friendship that she was pretty sure she had developed a nervous tick. She ground her teeth together in frustration as she turned and jogged to music class, vowing that next time, she would catch him and confront him.

Jess didn't want any of her friendships to be a secret, and with Miller's confirmation of his willingness to be seen in public with her, she had decided she wasn't going to keep anything from her close friends. She could hang out with anyone she wanted, and if someone didn't like it, well… screw them. That's right, she was putting her foot down. No more Miss Nice Gu-

Her thoughts were interrupted when a group of girls in short skirts and pretty blouses emerged from the doorway beside her, chatting animatedly. For a couple of awkward seconds Jess attempted to move out of their way, but instead of sidestepping them she blocked their passage, letting out a panicked laugh as she continued to shuffle back and forth between them. Realising she was now in full-on embarrassment mode, Jess halted in her tracks and put her head down, staring determinedly at the floor as the girls walked past, eyeing her incredulously.

"Sorry, my fault!" Jess said cheerily after them as they advanced down the hallway.

Okay. So maybe her badassery needed some work, but she was definitely on her way to becoming Jessica 'Not To Be Fucked With' Day.

Music was one of her favorite classes, because she could really relax and enjoy herself. Mrs. Shaw was a rotund woman with her glasses on a chain, and a striking resemblance to a brown owl, constantly perching and watching. Jess liked her a lot. They shared a bond through a love of music and singing.

Jess always felt like she had walked onto a hippie campsite when she entered this particular classroom – young people slumped in various parts of the room, in groups or alone, strumming guitars and singing softly or simply tinkering away on a piano and occasionally jotting down a musical note on a crumpled piece of paper. Then there were the students who chose this class for an easy free period, who were hunched over triangles and cymbals, looking bored and keeping one eye on their phone.

Jess didn't care. This was her kind of place. Mrs. Shaw didn't mind what you did as long as it was music-oriented and you produced something to show her by the time the bell rang. Jess liked to write songs, and she was damn good at it.

She quickly found her usual partner, Bethany, waiting patiently for her at the other side of the room. She had been gently tapping a tambourine against the side of a desk while some students played various instruments, but looked up and smiled as Jess approached. They didn't have much in common – Beth was much cooler than Jess - but their love of music and how well they worked together was enough. Jess wrote and sang, and Beth played every instrument but the kitchen sink. It worked.

"Beth." Jess greeted kindly as she sat next to her. The group beside them stopped playing for a second, nodding at Jess and adjusting the notes they were writing. Christina, the girl playing the keyboard, looked a little put out that Jess had turned up. Jess was a pretty observant person, and she knew Christina had always wanted to work with Beth. Jess considered herself pretty lucky to have Beth as her partner – it appeared that she was in pretty high demand. Something about Jess had caught her attention, and that was just fine with her.

"Hi," she replied, setting the tambourine down on the table. "I was just filling in." Jess looked over to Christina as she leaned forward, dropping her voice. She was obviously keen to hold Beth's attention a little longer.

"Have you heard the Shermer High Latest?" she asked, eyes sparkling with promise of juicy gossip. She and Beth shook their heads no, even though Jess was fairly certain Christina was not addressing her. "So it turns out that new kid, Winston? He and Jessica P were caught making out behind Shiller's office. Everyone's saying they're dating now."

Jess' eyebrows shot up. Jessica freaking _P?!_

"No way! She got in there fast!" Beth exclaimed, reaching behind her for the sunburst acoustic guitar she had brought from home. "She did mention to me last week in Chemistry that she had eyes for him, but who doesn't, right?"

"I know, right?" Jess piped up, and everyone looked at her like she had appeared out of nowhere. Jess pursed her lips and looked away, folding her hands in her lap. _Better luck next time, Day_.

"Well, Jessica's relationships have never lasted more than a few weeks at most, so maybe he'll be ripe for the picking in time for the dance," Christina said, flashing an excited smile. "Fingers crossed."

Jess resisted the urge to frown in this girl's face. Ripe for the picking? He wasn't a plum. "Hi, excuse me," Jess said as the girl went to turn away, "have you met Winston before?"

Christina shrugged and shook her head.

"You've never spoken to him?"

"No."

Jess folded her arms. "Well then. You obviously don't know anything about him. Plums have feelings too you know, I'm sure they don't like being talked about that way. And sometimes, you can pick a plum because it looks great on the outside, but it is in fact a rotten plum, and you had no idea because you didn't take the time to get to know that plum before you dived right into the sack with it."

Everyone stared at her. "What the hell are you talking about? Are you on drugs?" Christina asked, her face twisted into a look of annoyance.

Beth put a hand on Jess' arm. "Maybe we should just write some music?" She looked freaked out, but it was clear she wanted to end this discussion and get back to performing songs. Beth never really had a great deal of interest in other people's business. She would much rather play her guitar.

Jess nodded shyly, blushing as she realised how weird that outburst sounded. She had intended for it to come out as a cool anecdote about life, much like how Jessica 'NTBFW' Day would have said. Instead, as usual, she had come off like a raving lunatic.

"Yeah, gosh, sorry. Lost my head there."

* * *

Mrs. Shaw never gave out homework, but Jess always approached her after every lesson to ask for some anyway. It didn't feel like work to her, it was therapeutic.

Mrs. Shaw smiled her owly smile as Jess stepped up to the desk at the end of the period. "Another assignment Jessica, already?"

Jess looked at her innocently as she pulled her glasses off, letting them rest against her prominent bosom. "Yes please. How's it going in your weekend classes?"

She shook her head as an answer. "Not well. Here's a piece of information for you Jessica – if you can't play piano by age thirty, you can't play piano. Adult minds are not for molding apparently. You write songs yes?"

"I do."

"Would you write one for next week?"

Jess' face lit up. "Sure!" the thought of performing one of her own songs for her favorite teacher excited her. Mrs Shaw was such a talented musician, her approval was worth more to her than any of her other teachers'.

She made to leave but Mrs. Shaw stopped her.

"Jessica, you have a real talent, even if you don't plan to pursue it as a career. Understandable, as so many of us don't make it."

Mrs. Shaw looked sad for a moment, but then perked up as she looked Jess in the eye. "Really put emotion into this song. Write about something that makes you feel."

Jess swallowed nervously, feeling the pressure. She had a lot of feelings, but rarely had the courage to write them down. Her poetry book at home was more like a diary to her, and if anyone read it but her she would simply die of embarrassment. Months of resentment over her parent's divorce had been scrawled into that book, the occasional tear stain dotting the pages. She smiled back at her teacher unsurely, hoisting the strap of her backpack further up her shoulder. Nodding silently, she left for next period, trying to push her parents out of her brain. Images of campfires and s'mores swam before her eyes as she pushed the classroom door open, exiting into the flow of bodies and letting it carry her. She saw her Mom perched on the edge of a fallen log, plucking gently at a guitar and humming sweetly as she leaned into her father.

She was a good musician, sure, but no one was as talented as her mother. When Joan and Bob divorced Jess never saw that guitar again. Tears gathered in her eyes and she blinked furiously, annoyed with herself. That part of her life was over now.

Miller was at his locker when she passed, and Jess did a double take, surprised to see him in school. "Wow, Miller, you're here."

He laughed and slammed the door, holding an actual _book_ in his hand. Jess raised her eyebrows at him, resting against the metal beside the locker. "I'm off to my politics class. Gotta start somewhere if I'm gonna make it to law school, right?"

Jess nearly choked on air. "What? You're going to class now? What changed?" she ignored the looks they were getting from curious eyes as people passed them. It was only natural for people to gossip about the criminal and the basketcase's newfound friendship. She didn't mind – it was kind of exhilarating.

Miller grimaced. "Don't say it like that four eyes. I'm not _going to class now_. I'm going to _one_ class. There's a difference."

Jess grinned. "Now it's one class, next week it'll be two, before you know it you'll be handing in homework and doing gym."

He snorted. "I will _never_ go to gym. As far as they know I still haven't woken up from a coma."

"Whatever you say," Jess teased, clutching her folder to her chest. Miller was scowling, but it didn't reach his eyes. Jess felt a warm sensation at the knowledge that she could now read him better than most people.

"Whatever. It's only one class and I'll probably end up scratching my name into the desk, but it's a start." He looked away, watching the last few stragglers entering classrooms around them. "Your little pep talk _may_ have helped."

Jess couldn't contain her own glee, beaming at him. He looked at her, annoyed. "I said _may have_."

She sighed happily, ignoring the prickly front he was putting on. "Hey, I got you something." She rummaged in her bag for a few seconds, aware of the clock on the wall nearby, its loud ticking reminding her of the fact that she was pushing it to make next period on time. She brought out the metal zippo lighter she had picked up from her Dad's house the night before. He wouldn't miss it…probably.

She handed it over. "I thought you could use a new one. I'd prefer if you quit, but what the hell. Enjoy."

Miller stared at her outstretched hand. The lighter was adorned with a detailed image of an eagle over the American flag. Jess thought the colours matched the flannel he always wore, much like the large blue checked shirt he was sporting now. "No one has ever given me anything before." He looked up at her suspiciously, trying to figure out her angle.

Jess rolled her eyes, a smirk forming on her face. "Well, don't cry about it."

Miller laughed and took the lighter, nodding his head in appreciation. "Shut up. Thanks."

Jess shot him a smile and continued down the hallway, now officially late. "I have to go, but are we still on for tomorrow night?" she asked, walking backwards and waiting for his answer. He nodded, pocketing the lighter and turning the opposite way with a brief wave of his hand. Jess turned and skipped round the corner, her spirits high. The two of them had arranged to spend some time together after school, and Jess was excited to see more of this new side of Miller she was really starting to become partial to.

She was humming to herself in the now deserted hallway, passing a storage closet when Schmidt came crashing through the door, nearly knocking her to the ground. She jumped back with a shocked squeak, eyes wide. "_Schmidt?!_ What the hell?"

Schmidt straightened, looking flustered. "Sorry Jess, I thought the hallway was empty."

"Um, why were you in a closet?"

"I saw some guys that, let's just say, don't appreciate my lack of spatial awareness," he puffed, piling mop buckets and bottles back into the small room, "they like to mess around with me sometimes. I jumped in there to avoid them."

Jess helped him to put everything back, placing a hand on his shoulder when they were done. "Schmidt, you're being bullied. You need to tell someone."

Schmidt stared at her, incredulous. "Tell someone? Please. I'm fine, I'm used to it. It's just a bit of fun."

Jess sighed, annoyed. They both pushed the door shut, turning to face each other, and as Jess took in the flush in Schmidt's face and the way his eyes darted around him, looking for any sign of trouble, an insane idea suddenly came to her. "Hey, Schmidt." She said, excitement seeping into her voice. "Let's skip class."

Schmidt laughed, and then realised she wasn't kidding. "What?! No!"

"Come on, we're already late. You said yourself you never skip, let's just do it!" she grinned maniacally at him, the idea growing on her more and more as the seconds passed. Schmidt looked unsure, biting his lip, trying to make a decision. Jess knew he wouldn't say no. She knew Schmidt – if he'd smoke weed once, he could skip class once.

"Ok, if you're sure we won't get caught," he finally replied, shrugging slowly. "Where do you wanna go?"

* * *

"I admit it, I didn't think this through," Jess said lowly as they checked their surroundings. With no skipping experience the pair had stealthily wandered the school, arguing about where to go, and eventually found themselves in the school library. They made camp in a secluded corner, pulling bookshelves around them and piling beanbags inside. Jess actually thought it was a great hiding place – they couldn't be seen or heard by anyone in there, and no one would think to look for them here. The smoker's shed or the football field maybe, but not the school's place of learning.

"So," Jess started as they settled comfortably in their temporary home, "who are these guys making your life hell? I'll kick their asses."

Schmidt gave her a sceptical look, making her shrink back a little. They both knew she was all bark and no bite. "They're just some of the football guys. It's really not that bad Jess."

Jess harrumphed, leaning back against the wall. She couldn't stand bullying. She had been picked on occasionally, sure, but it seemed these guys were targeting Schmidt, and it made her blood boil. "Who d'you hang out with most of the time?" she asked curiously.

"Just the guys in my Physics class. We're in a lot of academic clubs, so we don't really hang out outside of them. It would be too much." He pulled an egg sandwich out of his bag, cut into triangles with the crusts removed. Jess held back her laughter and took the half he offered her with a delighted grin. "I saw you with Miller earlier, in the hall."

"Yeah, we're friends," Jess replied nonchalantly, watching Schmidt closely for a reaction. He chewed his sandwich slowly and deliberately, dabbing at his face with a napkin.

"That's cool I guess. He's not that bad." He eventually stated, making Jess breathe a sigh of relief. The last thing she needed was another person giving her shit about this. "He saved my ass in the cafeteria a couple of weeks back."

"I saw that." Jess rubbed her hands together, ridding them of breadcrumbs. "It was good of him. Although I still think Winston should have said something. Speaking of which, have you heard he's dating Jessica P now?! I mean, what?"

Schmidt laughed, shaking his head. "I would _not_ have put them together. We didn't know him for long but, I mean, can you imagine him being okay with how she acts? All that screeching and pointless giggling?"

"That's part of dating a cheerleader," Jess giggled, and Schmidt joined her, the pair feeling like a couple of troublemakers, heads together, snorting behind their hands at their meanness.

"I always kinda thought Winston would end up with Cece." He said after they had calmed down. "The Mysterious Jock and the Beautiful Indian Goddess. It makes sense." He looked down at his laces, tapping his shoes together.

"Sometimes people who don't make sense end up together." Jess replied, smiling at him. An image of a scruffy face wearing her glasses popped in front of her eyes. Surprised, she coughed and shook her head violently, ridding herself of the image. Where had _that_ come from? Go away brain!

"Sometimes," Schmidt echoed, smiling at her.

"You like her, don't you?" Jess asked. When Schmidt shot her a confused look, she continued, "Cece I mean."

He scoffed, looking panicked. She understood – it was embarrassing for him. He knew it was ridiculous.

"I – I never…I wouldn't, don't…" he went quiet at her stern gaze. "…yes I do." Jess laughed, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I know it's stupid," he said. "I think like, half the male population of this school likes her. She's like this trophy for them, y'know?" Jess nodded earnestly, and he took a deep breath. "But not to me. I don't think she wants to be anyone's trophy. She just wants someone to be real with her for once."

The two of them were silent for a few moments, Jess taking in what Schmidt was saying. She realized she wasn't breathing.

"She's just…beautiful. Not hot or any of that crap the other guys talk about. She's radiant." He appeared lost in thought. "It's not just the way she looks, even though everything is so…capturing. It's how strong she is too. She's quite scary at first, and then you realise she just doesn't want you getting under her skin. She protects herself. I wish I was more like her." He laughed to himself quietly. "She's really funny too. She's like this force you can't control."

Embarrassingly, Jess realized she had nearly shed a tear at Schmidt's words. What a romantic! She swiped at her left eye, trying to pretend she was scratching it. "You should tell her this. It's sweet as hell."

"No."

"Girls like that stuff!"

"Girls don't like guys like me."

"Girls don't like guys with your attitude."

Schmidt glanced up at her, narrowing his eyes. "Just drop it Jess. I don't want to."

Jess huffed, leaning back against the wall and hitting her head. She rubbed it, pouting. If everyone knew how awesome Schmidt was the world would be a better place, she thought. Or at least Schmidt wouldn't have to spend any more time hiding in closets.

The pair spent the rest of the period looking up rude words in the dictionary and giggling to themselves with hushed cries of "ohmygod they have skid mark!" and "phallus, a model of a penis in a state of sexual excitement!", occasionally pressing their faces into the gap between their fortress walls and checking for librarians and teachers when their snorting became dangerously loud. When the coast was clear they clambered out and tidied up, whispering to each other and wiping tears of mirth from their eyes. It had been a successful skip.

Back in stealth mode, they crept out of the library with perfect timing, the bell sounding just as they stepped into the hallway. Doors flew open and noise exploded out of classrooms as floods of people crowded round them, Jess saying a quick goodbye to Schmidt with a squeeze of his hand and a smile, advancing into the mass and walking to her locker, where Sadie was waiting.

"We need to talk about Miller." She said as soon as Jess was within earshot. Jess barely held back a loud groan. Was anyone going to give her a break about this? She leaned against her locker, unlocking it, waiting for the wrath she was sure to have unleashed on her.

Sadie let a slow smile take over her face. "So, does he have any hot friends you can hook me up with?"

Jess looked at her, shocked. Sadie smiled knowingly as she fiddled with the edge of her folder and she sighed with relief, letting out a laugh. She knew there was a reason they were best friends. Sadie would always accept her decisions.

"Sure. I'll ask him."


	10. Jamie

**Hope you enjoy this chapter! Huge thanks to Ztofan and Captain Crunk once again :)**

Chapter Ten – Jamie

When the bell finally rang at the end of the school day, Jess didn't know whether she had imagined it. For the entire day she had passed her eyes between her work and the clock, so often that at one point she was sure she had gone cross-eyed.

Today was the day she was going to Miller's, and to put it lightly, she was pretty damn excited. The thought of meeting some of his family made her queasy, in a good way. Spending some quality time with him was a good bonus too. She wanted to get away from prying eyes and just hang with her friend.

Miller was waiting for her in the sunshine when she left the school. "Did you even go into that building today?" she asked playfully as she led him to where her bike was parked.

He smiled mischievously. "I went to a whole four periods." The smile slowly slipped off his face as Jess shot him a knowing look. "Okay. Two and a half, don't be annoying."

Jess laughed, unlocking her bike. She turned to see Miller staring at it, a confused expression on his face. "You do know I walk from here, right?"

Jess frowned, looking down at her baby. "I suppose I could push it." She glanced up quickly as he advanced towards her, passing a hand over the bike.

"Nah, just push it to the road and I'll ride it. You can hop on the front."

For some reason that sentence seemed to throw Jess more than any of their exchanges so far. She absolutely did _not_ want to sit in front of Miller as he cycled to his house. Even the thought of it just reminded her of her entire romantic comedy VHS collection, where the guy takes his gal out for ice cream and they ride together and laugh and kiss and _good God_, she wasn't sure her fragile body and mind could handle it.

"Hmm," was all she actually managed to articulate. Miller smirked and gestured for them to start walking, falling into step beside her as she pushed the bike and stared ahead.

It turned out, her VHS collection was feeding her bullshit. She had been worrying for nothing, because the ride back was terrifying, painful and downright humiliating as she bounced and squeaked in fear, her knuckles white as she gripped the inside of the handlebars.

"Ouch!" she yelped as they rode over a particularly large stone in the quiet street near his house. She could feel the effort Miller was making not to laugh at her.

"What was that? Faster?" he asked, his voice trembling with mirth. Jess swivelled her head and glared at him. She wished she had asked for a pink bike. Then he wouldn't find the situation so funny.

They came to an abrupt halt, Jess nearly flying headfirst into the driveway. "We're here," Miller said matter-of-factly as she tried to subtly massage her behind and get her bearings. Jess nodded silently, looking up at his house.

Her first reaction was surprise at how lovely it was. There was a pretty front porch with droopy plants in the windows and a white door that presumably led to the main house. Miller pushed her bike through a side gate and shut the door, smiling nervously at her. "Well, I guess we should go in."

Jess found his sudden apprehension endearing, and reminded herself that they weren't in school any more. She had to prepare herself for him to be different in his own home. She just hoped it was a good kind of different. She smiled and followed him into the porch, taking off her shoes and stepping into the house.

It was a small, cozy place, done up in shades of brown and cream, with dark wood everywhere and a fireplace in the center of the living room. Miller clearly wasn't used to guests and made no effort to give her a tour, but didn't seem to mind her wandering around downstairs as he made drinks for them in the kitchen. Jess poked her head into each room and admired the photo frames on the wall of his family. Most of them were of him and what Jess presumed to be his brothers and cousins, but a couple showed the whole family, including an older man with wavy grey hair and a killer smile, leaning over Miller and a younger boy and grasping their shoulders comfortingly.

Jess ran a finger over the frame, trying to imagine this man's presence. She pictured him coming home to a warm house and the smell of lasagna floating in the air, Miller playing soccer in the garden and refusing to wash his hands before dinner.

She jumped when she heard thumping on the stairs and drew her hand away as if it had been burned. She didn't want Miller catching her fondling his photo frames – she had done so well to hide her weird side from him so far.

The thumping abruptly stopped when Jess looked up to see the scruffy boy from the photo, now about twelve years old, standing at the bottom of the stairs staring at her. "Nicky?" he said, one hand on the banister. He looked Jess up and down and she almost laughed – she was _sure_ he was checking her out.

Miller emerged with a bag of chips under one arm, handing Jess a glass of orange juice. "Jamie, what are you doing home? Did Mom forget to take you to school again?"

Jamie scowled, shaking his head. "I got sick so Ma came and picked me up, but she's sleeping now. Who's your girlfriend?"

Jess blushed, hiding behind her glass as Miller scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "She's uh, she's not… this is Jess. This is my little brother Jamie." He rolled his eyes at Jess, but she could see a smile forming.

"So if she's not your girlfriend, is she like one of those girls you sometimes bring over for a few hours and then we never see her again?" Jamie piped up, making Miller whip his head round and shoot him a filthy look.

"Shut up you little shit," he hissed as Jamie cackled and took a step back, retreating back up the stairs.

"I'll take that as a yes," he said smugly, switching his gaze to Jess. "She doesn't look like the others. She's much hotter. She looks like one of those secretaries from those movies you don't let me watch but I watch anyway."

Jess couldn't help but let out a surprised laugh as Jamie disappeared upstairs. Miller groaned, shaking his head and shooting her an apologetic look. She shrugged. "You get a lot of lady visitors huh," she stated rather than asked, enjoying putting him under pressure. He dropped his eyes to the carpet.

"That was one girl, he's just exaggerating… Of course I don't bring them all _home_." He grinned at her, eliciting an arm punch from her free hand. "Come on, put your shoes back on four eyes, we're going out. I have something to show you."

Equipped with food, juice and cigarettes, the pair ventured out into the back garden, which Jess thought looked bigger than the house. It was long but not wide, stretching out to a back fence separating the garden from the bike track behind it. As they drew closer, Jess noticed the rickety rope ladder swinging from the large tree by the bike track. The tree looked incredibly old, and was bent crookedly over the fence like an elderly man. Jess' eyes travelled upwards and she saw what Miller wanted to show her – a tree house. Her face lit up.

"Is this your tree house?" she asked excitedly as they stopped below it.

Miller nodded. "Yeah, me and my Pa built it a couple of years ago. We really went to town." He grinned at her. "Wait until you see inside."

He let her go first, holding the supplies as she hoisted herself upwards and pushed the trapdoor aside, climbing into the cozy space. It was well insulated and sturdy, with candle lanterns in the corners and battered couch cushions and blankets scattered over the floor. Jess made herself comfortable as Miller followed behind, pulling the door back into place when he was inside. Sunlight streamed in through windows and cracks in the wood, and Jess beamed at him. "This is amazing Miller."

He collapsed in the corner, putting a cigarette in his mouth. "Sometimes it's nice to get away. I spend a lot of time looking after Jamie and Mom. In here it's like being a kid again." He took out the lighter Jess had given him and admired it for a few seconds before flicking it open and sparking up.

"In that detention, you said you had to look after your brothers," Jess recounted, looking around. "Where's your other brother?"

"Aiden," Miller sighed and took a drag. He blew the smoke out, contemplative. "He's my older brother. He got caught up in some stuff when he was at CSU and had to come home."

"Was he okay?"

"Oh, sure. He was a pain in the ass. He made me run all these pointless errands for him, and wouldn't eat anything unless I made him. He actually left for rehab the weekend of that detention."

Jess took a sharp intake of breath. _Rehab?!_ "Oh my God."

Miller looked at her, and laughed. "He's honestly okay Jess. He left by choice, he wanted to get his life together. Wouldn't you, if you woke up one day and realized you were still living at home at 21 years old, making your 16 year old brother run out and grab you pizza and energy drinks?"

Jess smiled unsurely, biting her lip. Miller waved her off with the hand holding his cigarette, spreading smoke around and making her eyes water.

"I just worry about people, it's what I do," Jess said quietly. "…I hope your Mom is okay."

He looked at her then, for a long time. "She'll be fine," he eventually replied. "Millers are always fine."

Jess swallowed thickly, her problems with her parents suddenly seeming impossibly small compared to how this family had suffered. She was grateful she had both her parents, and that they both loved her even if they no longer loved each other. "I have an older sibling too," she declared, "a sister."

Miller raised his eyebrows. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, her name is Amy. She moved out years ago though, she has a fiancé and a baby." She smiled fondly as she thought of her sister. They hadn't spoken in a while. She made a mental note to call her and ask how she had been.

"I would have liked a sister."

Jess looked at Miller, surprised at his admission. He looked as if he hadn't meant to say that, as he met her gaze with a shocked one of his own. "I've never said that out loud."

Jess gave him a crooked grin. "I'm glad you said it." She felt as though she needed a treasure chest to keep all the precious secrets Miller told her and no one else. She wanted to remember all of them, reminders of how special their connection was. The smile became a frown of confusion as she pulled something out from under the cushion beneath her. "What is…"

Her mouth fell open and she felt a hot flush creep over her chest. In her hand was a condom, still in its wrapper. She switched her gaze from the packet between her fingers to Miller's face. He was staring at it, and Jess could swear he was blushing too. "That's not- I mean…" he struggled to come up with something to say.

Jess dropped the condom, shutting her open jaw. "Ooookay," she drew out, embarrassed. "I don't think I wanna know."

"No, Jess, it's honestly not like that," he said quickly, grabbing the wrapper and shoving it in the corner. "I don't just…look, I know I have a reputation and everything, but I just didn't deny it when people said it, that doesn't mean it's true."

"You haven't slept with anyone?" Jess asked, her voice sounding stupidly small. She inwardly cursed herself for sounding so pathetic. Whatever happened to Jess 'NTBFW' Day?

"Well, yeah, I have," Miller replied, his hand going to the back of his neck again. Numbly, Jess registered that he only did that when he found the situation uncomfortable. "I've slept with someone, but it was just one person, and I really liked her."

Jess blew her bangs out of her eyes, trying to push the unusual feeling in her stomach down. It was common knowledge that Miller wasn't a virgin, and yet she couldn't shake how odd it made her feel. Maybe it was because they had so much in common, she wished they had this in common too.

"Was she your girlfriend?" she asked curiously, smoothing her skirt over her bare legs.

"I thought she was. We um… we did it a few times, and I asked her, and she said she thought I was the kinda guy who was always down for a hook up. I didn't see her around after that."

Jess stared at him, eyebrows furrowed in sympathy. "That's horrible. You don't deserve that."

He shrugged. "It's my fault, I made out like I was the go-to guy for stuff like that." He leaned over and retrieved the candles from the lanterns, flicking out his zippo and lighting them before placing them back. Jess looked around, realizing how dark it suddenly was. She had been way too wrapped up in their conversation to notice. "Whatever, I got laid right?" he shot her a grin, and she raised her eyebrows.

"Lucky for some."

He abruptly wiped the grin off his face. "Shit. Sorry, I forgot."

Jess shrugged offhandedly, and they fell silent for a few moments. Jess narrowed her eyes, looking down at the cushion she had made herself comfortable on. "Hey, you didn't…" she gestured beneath her, grimacing. Miller shook his head rapidly, laughing.

"We never did it in here. I kinda prepared for it, but she didn't like tree houses. She was afraid of heights apparently."

Jess scrunched her face up. "What a sissy."

Miller snorted in shock, and she grinned at him. "Allison Daniels." He said simply. "That's who she was."

Jess squinted, trying to remember if she'd heard of her. An image of a girl with poker straight dirty blonde hair and a loud, booming laugh appeared in her head. She knew who Allison Daniels was. _She's the complete opposite of me_, Jess found herself thinking almost subconsciously. She scowled to herself. If her brain had a face, she would slap it.

"We'd better go inside," Miller muttered, gathering up their stuff. "I have to make food for Jamie. You wanna stay for dinner?"

Jess smiled warmly. "Yeah, sure. I can make something if you want."

Miller returned her smile, his eyes crinkling. "Awesome."

Jess raided the cupboards in the house, hopelessly searching for something, anything she could cook up. She didn't know why, but there was a pressure on her to impress Miller and Jamie. She wanted to look after them.

Luckily, her Mom and Dad had taught her well, and she found enough ingredients to make pasta puttanesca, something apparently neither boy had heard of.

"Pasta what-a?" Jamie asked as soon as she had mentioned it. Miller elbowed him in the shoulder, shooting him a look. "I mean, that would be lovely, Secretary Jessica."

Jess laughed. He was obviously a little troublemaker like his brother. "You wanna help?" she asked kindly, setting down some canned tomatoes and garlic on the kitchen island. Jamie looked unsure and glanced at Miller, waiting for permission. Miller rolled his eyes and pushed him forward.

"Okay, sounds cool," he replied quietly, going to the sink to wash his hands. Jess was still grinning from seeing the close bond between the brothers in front of her, and Miller caught her, raising his eyebrows as if to say _don't even think about saying anything sappy_. She cleared her throat, turning back to the food, hiding the happy look on her face.

They chopped and fried and cooked, Jess explaining to Miller how the dish was made so he could do it himself next time. Miller sat on the edge of the island, stealing pieces of cheese and olives and repeatedly getting a disapproving hand slap from Jess. She had been right about Jamie's mischievous streak – he kept imitating TV chefs and made Jess wear the apron their Mom always wore when their Dad was home. Jess didn't want to intrude, but with a soft smile and a nod from Miller, she pulled the strap over her head and tied the flowery cloth around her waist, pulling her hair out and letting it fall over her shoulders. For a fraction of a second she looked up to find Miller staring at her, a funny look on his face. Then it was gone, and she was left wondering if it had just been a figment of her imagination as he grabbed Jamie and started play fighting with him.

"Alright, dinner is served guys," Jess announced as she placed the pot on the scrubbed kitchen table, her hands covered by the oven mitts that matched her apron. The boys had been hungrily eyeing the oven for the past ten minutes, knives and forks already in their clenched fists. Jess felt warm all over as they made noises of approval and helped themselves to large portions, arguing over who got the extra spoonful. They both looked like seven year olds again, waiting for Mom to feed them. Jess' suspicions had been right – Miller was a good kind of different at home.

When they were all sufficiently full, Jess helped Miller tidy up and put a plate of pasta in the fridge in case his Mom woke up hungry. She removed the apron and handed it back shyly, not meeting his eyes. "So, I had a great time. Thanks for inviting me."

"No problem, come over any time if you're gonna feed this little cretin," Miller replied as Jamie ran past them, sticking two fingers up at his brother and disappearing, presumably upstairs to his room. Jess giggled, smoothing her hair down.

"Next time you should come over to mine and cook my family dinner," she said, her giggles becoming louder as she saw the terrified look on his face. "I'm kidding. I don't think my Mom likes beef jerky and potato chips as a balanced meal."

Miller scoffed and folded his arms, trying not to smile. "Whatever four eyes, don't get cocky just 'cause you boiled some pasta."

Jess stepped up to him suddenly, wrapping her arms around his neck. Shocked, he stood motionless as she hugged him and then stepped back, smiling slightly. "You have a great house, and Jamie is really cute. Maybe I could meet your Mom some time. I bet she's wonderful."

He nodded. "Yeah," he replied, his voice cracking a little. He cleared his throat. "Let me walk you home, it's dark."

"No, don't worry, I have my bike and I'm only a few blocks away."

"You sure? I can come if you-"

"Miller, I'm fine. Go check on your Mom, I'll see myself out." She grinned, reaching out to pat his arm.

"Thanks for dinner and…everything. Y'know, thanks for all the stuff." He said, struggling a little as he scratched his ear awkwardly.

"You're welcome," she stated confidently, turning towards the door. "See you at school."

As she opened the door to his porch she heard him say bye, his voice quiet. She stepped out and shut the door behind her, exiting the house and retrieving her bike from behind the gate.

Swinging a leg over, she sighed to herself_. Jessica, Jessica, Jessica_, her brain taunted her. She willed it to shut up, but she knew it was no use. She was going be thinking about that look he gave her all the way home, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do to stop it.


End file.
